Safe Harbour
by Upsgirl88
Summary: Caryl AU fic. Carol and Daryl meet on a singles cruise. Based on the following prompt: Merle enters Daryl's name into a contest to win a Caribbean cruise. Daryl is not used to rubbing elbows with the cruise crowd, and he finds many of the planned activities perplexing and overwhelming. Somehow, he meets Carol on this cruise.
1. Chapter 1

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" the brunette woman yelled at him, as Daryl untangled himself from her arms and backed away apologizing. "Are you gay? Is that it? Because this is the wrong ship asshole."

Daryl pushed his way through the crowd, feeling his cheeks burning as he seethed with anger and embarrassment. He headed straight back to his tiny room and flopped onto his bed. He never should have agreed to dance with her. But she had been perusing him for 3 full days and Daryl just didn't have the energy to keep fighting her off. When she started to grope him and then planted a kiss on his mouth, that's when Daryl pulled away from her, angering the woman and causing a scene.

A singles cruise. Why the fuck am I on a singles cruise? Daryl asked himself for the hundredth time since Merle took him to the port and he boarded the huge ship. Merle. It was his idea. He'd entered Daryl's name in a draw, the grand prize was 7 nights, 8 days cruising the Atlantic with hundreds of other unattached adults. It'll do you good, he'd told Daryl. Maybe loosen you up a bit, get you laid a few times. It was all about getting laid with Merle. It bothered him that Daryl wasn't a ladies man like he was. It wasn't that Daryl didn't enjoy sex, he most definitely did, but these needy, aggressive women turned him off.

Merle would never understand it. He would never get why Daryl wouldn't stick his dick between any pair of legs willing to open for him. His big brother would have been in heaven here with all the willing and eager women. But for Daryl it was torture. It was overwhelming, embarrassing and even terrifying at times.

He had hid out in his room for most of the first day. Only leaving when he got hungry. That's when she had first spotted him and invited herself to join him for lunch. Daryl agreed and simply nodded and grunted at the majority of her blabbing, then excused himself immediately after finishing his meal to head back to the solitude of his room.

Every time he got up the nerve to leave the privacy she was there. Like she could sniff him out or something. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive, or wasn't friendly, at least at first she was both. Daryl had left his room that evening to attend the nightly dance for the first time. He'd planned to sit in the corner, get incredibly drunk and see what happened. But the plan came to a screeching halt when she found him seconds after he walked into the busy dark room. Daryl felt like a jerk because he couldn't even remember her name. Still couldn't. Though she had likely told him at least twice.

After a couple of drinks Daryl allowed her to talk him onto the dance floor. Part way into the first song is when things got awkward, leading eventually to the scene she caused and his early departure from the party. Daryl absentmindedly pounded on the wall beside him, stopping when he remembered there could be someone sleeping in the room beside him. Daryl laughed out loud at the thought. No Dixon, you're the only one alone in your room at 10pm, guaranteed.

He lay there for a few more minutes, but it became clear he wasn't close to being ready for sleep. The room was small and it was quickly becoming suffocating. Daryl needed to get out. He missed the woods. When he needed to escape he always grabbed his crossbow and headed out to hunt or track or just wander quietly through the forest, enjoying the silence in contrast to Merle's constant jabbering or his dad's angry yelling.

Daryl wanted peace and quiet, but somewhere he could breathe. He left his room and started to wander the ship, avoiding all high traffic areas. On the upper deck he came across a roped off entranceway that said 'Staff Only.' He peeked his head in and the hall looked completely deserted. It was likely only used by staff during the day. Daryl stepped over the rope and wandered down the dark hall. It came out on the other side of the ship and Daryl found himself in a private little area looking over the ocean as they cruised along. The night breeze was surprisingly cool and Daryl could taste the salt in the air.

Finally. Complete solitude somewhere he could breathe. Daryl settled on a ledge and leaned back against the ship. He looked up at the full moon and the endless sky full of stars and sighed.

"Oh," a female voice exclaimed with surprise. "You found my secret spot."

Daryl turned to see a startlingly beautiful woman with short grey hair looking at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll leave," he offered, starting to stand up.

"Don't be silly," she said with a bright smile. "I don't mind sharing but only if you promise..." her voice trailed off.

"Promise what?" Daryl asked. There was already something intriguing about this woman. She didn't seem pushy or forward like so many of the other ladies on board. She seemed kind, maybe a little shy but not socially awkward like he was.

She held out her hand for Daryl to help her up where he was sitting. It was odd taking a stranger's hand so easily, as if he'd done it a million times before. "If you promise it stays our secret," she said, plunking down beside him. "Why are you here, all alone?" she asked in a soft, gentle voice.

"I could ask you the same question," Daryl quipped.

The woman shrugged, "okay, I'll go first. My brother and sister in law bought my ticket. I divorced my husband over a year ago... They decided it was time I learn how to meet guys." She looked out over the ocean. "38 years old and they want me to start all over." She looked sideways at him, "it sounded like fun, but I realized quickly it wasn't my kind of thing. It all feels too... Sleazy, forced, maybe a bit desperate..." As her voice trailed off again Daryl found himself nodding. "Your turn," she said, looking at him with stunning blue eyes.

"Uh, well, pretty much the same," he stammered. "Well except for the divorce part," Daryl added quickly. "My bother entered my name in a contest as a joke... And I won. So here I am." He looked away, her gorgeous eyes were making him blush. "This isn't for me," Daryl added, his voice almost a whisper.

There was a long moment of silence before she spoke again. "Do you have kids? I have a daughter. She's 7."

"Oh, uh, nope, no kids," Daryl replied. As much as he was fucking it up he had a strong desire to make conversation with this woman. "What's her name?"

"Sophia," the woman said with a wistful grin. "I miss her already."

"That's a beautiful name," Daryl said. It sounded so damn stupid but she didn't seem to think so.

Her tone was very appreciative of the compliment, "Thank you, it suits her perfectly."

"I just needed a bit of air, before bed," she said, sliding down to land gracefully on the deck. "I'm glad you were here though. It was really nice to talk to someone who wasn't just trying to get into my pants." Daryl studied her face. Was there a hint of a flirt there? He wasn't sure. If it wasn't blatantly obvious he usually missed it anyway.

He felt something strange as she started to walk away. He felt sad. "Wait," he called out. "What's your name?" Daryl couldn't let her go without knowing.

"Carol," she said, turning back towards him and waiting for him to reciprocate.

"Daryl," he offered.

She giggled, "they rhyme." With that she was gone and Daryl was alone again, with the ring of her melodious laugh still echoing in his ears. For the first time in three days Daryl smiled. 


	2. Chapter 2

When Daryl woke the next morning the gnawing feeling in his stomach that usually greeted him was gone. It was like a weight had been lifted off him and he was actually looking forward to the day. If he was honest with himself what Daryl was looking forward to was seeing her. Carol. He could still here her saying her name in his mind. Her laugh was infectious and Daryl wanted to hear it again. He had no idea how, but if he was lucky enough to talk to her again he needed to make her laugh somehow. It would likely be because he said something stupid, but if it made her smile and giggle, Daryl wouldn't care.

He had spent 3 days brooding and though he wasn't looking for anything more than companionship, it was nice to know there was someone else out there that felt like he did. Everyone else seemed to be having a great time. Everywhere he looked people were talking, laughing, kissing… and more. It just made Daryl feel even more like an outsider. But just the knowledge that there was at least one other person on the ship that wasn't glamoured by the frivolous sex and party atmosphere was comforting.

Daryl picked up the pamphlet the maids left each day with the daily activity guide. So far he hadn't participated in any of it. There were sports in the morning, basketball, football, rock climbing and even sea kayaking… Was she the athletic type? Daryl wondered. If he was going to torture himself with getting involved in these horrid group activities he wanted to maximize the chances that he would bump into her. She had jumped rather gracefully down onto the deck the night before and she definitely looked fit… but his gut said she wasn't likely to participate in the sports stuff. His conclusion was a relief because Daryl wasn't much of a sports guy himself. He had a natural athletic ability and Merle had forced him to play football in high school. But he never felt like he fit in with the jocks and eventually just quit showing up.

Daryl explored some of the other options. They were docking and there were day trips to shop or go to the casino. All women like to shop, right? Daryl asked himself. But he could just end up looking like a creeper following her around from store to store. Nope, that wasn't going to work. He didn't have much extra cash to hit the casino, so he ruled that out as well. Wine tasting, he read. Daryl smiled. He would attend the wine tasting at noon. If she was there it would be perfect, but if she wasn't at least he could enjoy an hour of sampling wine he would never be able to afford at home.

After showering and dressing Daryl brushed his teeth and checked his hair in the mirror. It was getting a little longer than he usually kept it, but it gave him a bit of an edgy look with the right outfit. Merle had made him buy a bunch of new clothes for the trip. 'So you don't look as fucking redneck as you are,' he'd said. Daryl refused to wear anything except jeans normally, but they were in the tropics so he'd bought a couple pair of shorts, one cammo, one khaki, and new shirts, promising Merle he wouldn't rip the sleeves off them until he got back home.

Daryl looked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. In a white short sleeved button down, a pair of khaki shorts and sandals he looked like the boy next door. He was always mistaken for 5-6 years younger than his real age of 35. His stomach grumbled reminding Daryl of breakfast. He silently chastised himself for primping and left his room to head to the dining area.

There were several options and Daryl wasn't sure which one to pick. He wandered by the first area, which was like an outdoor patio/bistro and kept going, stopping at the indoor buffet style dining area. He quickly scanned the area but didn't see her. Chances were slim anyway. It was a huge ship, with many places to eat breakfast. Maybe she wasn't even a breakfast eater. Daryl loaded up his plate and found an empty table in a sparse area of the dining lounge. If nothing else, the food was fucking amazing. He ate way more than anyone his size should be able to consume, then stopped even though he likely could have eaten even more.

Daryl pushed his plate away and sat there for a moment, wondering what he was going to do to kill some time before the wine tasting event at noon. He tossed a few ones on the table, deciding he would wander around the ship, but not willing to admit to himself why he wanted to wander around. He chose to head towards the pool deck and check out the bikinis - make Merle proud for a moment.

As he was heading past the outdoor bistro something caught his attention. A voice he would never forget found his ears and Daryl froze. "No thanks, I'm waiting for someone," Carol said. Daryl could see a man standing there, obviously trying to join her for breakfast. "I said No," he voice had an edge that surprised Daryl, but the man remained. Was she really waiting for someone? Daryl wondered. Did it matter? She was obviously uncomfortable and Daryl knew he had to do something.

Instead of walking around to the gate Daryl hopped the low fence and made a beeline for her table. "Carol," he called out with a wave as he approached. The look of relief on her face told him he'd done the right thing. "Sorry I'm late," he added, trying to play the part.

"Daryl," she said, with a smile. His heart did something funny when he heard her say his name. He watched as Carol gave the man a look. He turned and brushed rudely past Daryl bumping him on the way by. Daryl spun, seething with anger and seriously considered going after him and kicking his ass. "Don't," Carol said, recapturing his attention. "He's not worth it." She motioned for him to sit and Daryl pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. "Thank you so much," she sighed. "You are a lifesaver. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"No problem," Daryl replied, shyly shrugging off the attention.

"You wanna have breakfast with me?" Carol asked. "I haven't ordered yet. The waitress kept avoiding me, waiting to see if that jackass was going to sit down or not."

"Uh, um…" Daryl stammered trying to decide if he should just accept and pretend he hadn't just eaten, or be honest but offer to sit with her while she ate. Fuck it, he thought. May never eat food this good again in my life. "Sure," he got out finally as she stared at him, looking slightly bewildered. God you're an idiot Dixon. She probably thinks you're simple. Can't even answer a basic question without stuttering like a fool.

Luckily he was saved by the waitress who finally appeared to take their order. Carol ordered a vegetarian omelette with feta cheese and white toast. Daryl smiled, glad she wasn't one of those women who ate like a damn bird. To keep things simple he ordered the same. What was another couple of eggs going to hurt after he'd already eaten 3 or 4?

If Daryl was at all worried about making small talk he quickly realized it wasn't going to be a problem with Carol. She was great at making conversation that even he could maneuver. The only time her chatter died down was when their food arrived, but she still managed to avoid awkward silence by talking between bites. "I'm so sorry I'm blabbing so much, but I really haven't talked to many people in the last few days," Carol explained. "And you're easy to talk to. I like that," she complimented him. Daryl felt his cheeks turn an embarrassing shade of red. "Humble too," she added, teasing him and intensifying the blush.

Daryl took a long drink of his water. He hadn't even noticed his hands were shaking until he went to set it back down and tipped the glass, sending water splashing in Carol's direction. "Oh," she jumped up in surprise, water spilling into her lap.

Daryl jumped too, mortified. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," he mumbled, grabbing all the napkins off the table and moving to help dry her off. Amidst his embarrassment he didn't realize where exactly he was dabbing, until she froze and looked at him, biting back a smile. "Oh fuck, oh my god," Daryl said, pulling the napkins away from her wet crotch area. "Jesus, I'm sorry…" Daryl stammered, unable to look her in the eye.

"Hey, it's okay, really," her voice was so calm and reassuring that Daryl looked up. Her blue eyes sparkled and she wore a smile. "I'll dry in no time in this heat. Let's sit and finish eating, talk more, okay?" Daryl nodded and they sat. Carol motioned for the waitress who brought more napkins to clean up the water on the table. "So where are you from?" Carol asked. "We've been here almost an hour and I have no idea where you live."

"Newnan, Georgia," Daryl said. "Suburbs of Atlanta."

"Are you serious?" her face lit up. "Senoia. I used to live in the city, but when I left Ed, Sophia and I moved out closer to my brother."

"No way," Daryl replied, smiling brightly at the coincidence. They chatted a little more about home until there was eventually a lull in conversation. Carol studied his face and Daryl suddenly felt nervous. She looked like she wanted to ask him something but wasn't sure if she should. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing… I just had an idea… but, nah, it's stupid," she said, blushing for the first time since he'd met her.

"Tell me," Daryl encouraged her. He was pretty sure no stupid ideas would come from this woman.

"Last night, you said this really wasn't your thing. Did you mean that?" Carol asked, tipping her head to the side, waiting for his reply.

"Oh yeah, I meant it," he nodded.

"Well every second I spend on this ship I realize even more that it's really not for me either. I can't deal with men I don't even know throwing themselves at me like I'm going to just drop everything and go sleep with them," Carol sighed. "It sounds so stupid doesn't it?" she asked. "I mean, isn't that what a cruise like this is for? Sow your wild oats and all that? Is it crazy that I just can't… Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I guess I need romance."

"I get it," Daryl agreed. "Maybe others don't, but I do."

His words brought out the brightest smile on her face and Daryl felt his heart do that weird thing again. "My idea…" Carol started. "What if…. What if we pretend we've hooked up so others will leave us alone?" she met his eyes to gauge his reaction. When Daryl didn't say anything she started to backtrack. "See, I knew it was stupid…"

"No," he interrupted. "It's fucking brilliant." Daryl couldn't believe his luck. "I'm in. Definitely."


	3. Chapter 3

"So did you already have something planned for today?" Carol asked.

"Nope, not a thing," Daryl fibbed in response.

"I was thinking the wine event might be fun, what do you think?" Carol was looking at the daily itinerary. Not only did they leave a copy in your room, but every table in every dining area had one as well. Daryl couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Luckily Carol was too busy looking at the sheet to notice. "Or there's pool volleyball..." she added peeking at his reaction. Daryl's smile turned quickly to frown and Carol grinned. "Good, I'm not really into many of the sports things anyway."

"The wine sampling is a good idea," Daryl said quickly, before she saw the shopping trip, got excited and he gave in.

"Okay perfect. But what about this evening?" Carol flipped to the back. Daryl hadn't even looked at the evening events yet. "Let's see... We have ballroom dancing, clay sculpting, couples massages... Speed dating," Carol snorted.

"Nah. Really?" Daryl asked. He shouldn't have been surprised. This cruise was cheesy enough to have just about anything. He'd overheard some women talking about male strippers even.

Carol nodded, "And it gets better, there's something called Swinger's Siesta..."

Daryl's eyes widened. Again, he should not have been surprised, but he was. "I ain't really liking any of those options," he said with a frown. "What if we just do the wine tasting, have an early supper, go rest for a bit and meet at our spot once it's dark?" After she had left the night before Daryl had stayed almost an hour just enjoying the sound of the ocean and the peacefulness. He knew Carol understood a place like that, on such a busy ship, was special.

"Sounds absolutely perfect to me," she said softly. There was a strange look on her face as if he'd pleasantly surprised her.

Something caught Daryl's eye. "Oh fuck," he muttered. The bitch who'd embarrassed him was walking by glaring.

Carol followed his gaze. "She the reason you've been in hiding?" Carol whispered. Daryl nodded. "Follow my lead," she added quietly. "Look at me, don't look away." Carol reached for his hand and Daryl let her take it. He tried not to let her see how startled he was when she linked their fingers and gazed at him with a bright smile. She shifted her eyes slightly. "That glare just got a million times worse," Carol said, the smile still in place.

"Yeah?" Daryl said, afraid to look.

Carol giggled as if he'd said something hilarious. That was the sound he'd wanted to hear again and he didn't even do a thing to deserve it. Even though it was only part of her plan it still felt incredible and made him smile instantly.

Daryl bit his cheek to keep from laughing when Carol turned and caught the other woman's eye. The look on her face was the most evil and adorable 'fuck you' he'd ever seen. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if Carol had stuck her tongue out or flipped the woman off too.

"And that's how a woman marks her territory," Carol said after the other woman had spun and stomped off. "At least we're not like dogs," she added with a chuckle. Daryl was fully aware they were still holding hands but Carol didn't seem to notice until he fidgeted. "Oh, sorry," she said, releasing him.

"Thank you, for that," Daryl mumbled. "I owe you one."

Carol picked up her water and took a drink before replying, "I'm sure I'll collect at some point."

"So what are we gonna do until the wine tasting?" Daryl asked. Even though they'd had a long, leisurely meal they still had over an hour until the event started.

"I would like to drop my purse back in my cabin," Carol said. There was a sparkle in her eye, "then how about the arcade? I saw they had Big Buck Hunter..."

"Oh gawd, that obvious?" Daryl asked, knowing she had spotted his redneck, even with the cleaned up look.

"You live in Georgia," she shrugged. "I had a 50-50 shot you were a hunter."

"Probably more like 60-40," Daryl replied, feeling strangely excited at the idea of hunting, even if it was just a video game. "You shoot?"

"A real gun? Oh no," she shook her head. "But my little tomboy at home loves Big Buck Hunter. I have to take her to the arcade by our house at least once a week." A look of sadness flashed in her eyes.

"You miss her," Daryl stated, recognizing the look, even though he'd never really missed anyone deeply since his mother died when he was a kid.

"Yeah," Carol nodded. "Far more than I thought I would. And I thought I would miss her a lot." Daryl wasn't sure what to do or say to make her feel better. Carol probably assumed it was because she was a stranger, but Daryl wouldn't have known what to do if it was his best friend. "Let's go," she said, forcing a smile. "If I stay busy there's no time to think."

Daryl stood and added a few ones to the table, like he'd done earlier. Carol tossed down a tip as well and she led him out of the patio area. It turned out her cabin was on the complete opposite side of the ship to his. The spot they had both found was conveniently somewhere in between. She unlocked the door and led him into a little room that looked pretty much identical to his own, but filled with a female presence of course. Books and magazines on the table, nail polish on the night stand and clothes, though neatly folded, spread out around the room. Daryl was impressed the nail polish was still sitting there. The seas had been fairly calm, but it seemed like everything he put on his nightstand was on the floor each time he returned to his room.

He noticed a folded pair of lacy red panties on her bed and looked away, blushing. Carol noticed. She didn't miss much. Daryl knew early on she was a very smart and observant woman. But she also knew when he was embarrassed and when not to draw any further attention to things. Carol ignored it, pretending she hadn't noticed and tossed her purse in a drawer after fishing some cash out and putting it in her pocket. "Okay, I'm ready," she said cheerfully. "I hope you're a better challenge than Sophia. But if not, I'll let you win once in a while too," Carol teased.

"Hmph," Daryl snorted. "I don't think you'll need to _let_ me win."

Carol bit her lip and her eyes lit up, "Oh it's on." Daryl couldn't reply. All he could do was stare at the look on her face. It was so sexy when she bit her lip like that. What the fuck are you thinking Dixon, he asked himself. This isn't about that. You're doing each other a favor so neither of you have to deal with the other leeches… His internal dialogue may have continued for longer while he focussed on her face, but Carol interrupted. "Ready to go?" He nodded and followed her out of the room with a sense of relief.

The arcade was surprisingly busy. They had to wait 15 minutes for another couple to leave Big Buck Hunter. In the mean time they played air hockey. Carol won both games, but only by one point both times and because Daryl kept reaching too far and scoring on himself. "Fuck," he muttered as he knocked the puck into his own goal yet again, ending the game.

Big Buck Hunter was much better. He beat her all 4 times they played. Daryl was focussed, so much that he didn't notice her starting at him with a smile a few times, not even shooting. The last game he beat the current high score on the game and entered his initials in first place. Finally he looked at Carol, hoping she wasn't upset that he'd won every time. The look on her face told him he was most definitely safe. "You look peaceful when you hunt," Carol said gazing at him strangely. "Confident, happy almost…" She let her voice trail off and Daryl felt goosebumps rise on his skin. How could she know that? How could she recognize how important hunting was to him from a video game? And how could he ever explain what it meant to him without sounding like a weirdo? "We don't want to be late for the Wine tasting. Let's go," Carol said, interrupting the silence before it got awkward, once again amazing him with her perception and attention to social cues. For every bit of awkward Daryl was socially, Carol was skilled and he was thankful to have someone like that to spend time with. In some crazy way it was like she understood him, even though they were practically strangers still.

Daryl considered that thought the entire way to the room where the wine tasting was being held and hoped he didn't look too perplexed or bewildered. By the time they had wandered around for an hour, sampling different wines from all over the world, with only a few chunks of cheese to absorb the alcohol, Daryl was feeling the effects. He knew if he was, chances were that Carol was as well. He got his answer when she stumbled slightly and he grabbed her arm. "Wow," she giggled. "I think I might be a little bit drunk."

"C'mon," Daryl said, taking her arm to steady her. "Let's go get some food, it'll help."

"I don't know if I want this feeling to go away," Carol said. "I kinda like the buzz. I don't drink much," she added with a whisper. "But I am hungry… Okay, let's go eat, but promise me we can get drunk another time before this trip is over okay Daryl?" she looked at him, waiting for an answer as if she'd asked a very serious question. "Promise?"

He nodded, trying not to smile. Daryl was actually rather intrigued as to what kind of drunk she would be. But he also knew he could be a mean drunk if he was provoked. If they did have a night of drinking in their future Daryl would have to be careful and conservative with his alcohol. Maybe stick to beer since it seemed to have the least effect on him.

By the time they were finished dinner Carol was yawning as the buzz started to wear off. "Time for a nap?" Daryl asked her with a tiny smile.

"I am really tired all of a sudden," Carol said, surprised. "So I'll see you tonight? Around 10?" she asked, standing up.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Daryl replied, standing as well. "Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

"Nah, I'm good," Carol reassured him. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Daryl nodded silently and watched her leave, then turned in the other direction to head back to his room. The evening passed slowly, even after he napped for over an hour. As the time approached when he could finally leave to meet her Daryl was feeling thoroughly stir crazy. He wondered how he spent so much time in his room the previous days and survived.

Daryl slipped on a hoodie and headed out. He wondered if he would get there first or if Carol would be waiting for him. As he approached Daryl realized he was alone. He looked at his watch and rolled his eyes, of course she wasn't there yet, it was only 9:45. He climbed up where they had sat the night before and looked out over the ocean. He could see the moon reflecting on the water and it was beautiful. Daryl tried not to look at his watch every 2 minutes, but it seemed that 2 minutes was about the longest he could wait before checking again. About the 16th time he checked his watch it was 10:20 and Daryl was starting to worry. She seemed really tired, he told himself, maybe she just fell asleep and hasn't woke up at all. But there was something gnawing at him. His intuition said something was wrong.

He decided to wait another 10 minutes, until 10:30, but quickly changed his mind and decided to follow his gut. Daryl knew where her room was, he would just go there and make sure she was okay and then call it a night. He started to walk, wondering if she had just decided she didn't want to spend any more time with him and he was going to look foolish showing up at her door. Or what if she hadn't stayed in her room the entire evening and found a guy she liked and was with him? His mind quickly left the path where he was concerned about her safety and jumped on the path where his self-conscious thoughts won over.

That all changed when he heard her voice. "No, please…" Followed by a scream. Daryl instantly felt nauseated. He was right from the start. Carol was in danger. He turned in the direction her scream had come from and he ran…


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl heard her scream again and rage filled his body. Whoever was hurting her was going to pay. He increased his speed even more, skidding slightly as he rounded a corner. Daryl caught his footing and barrelled down the dimly lit, deserted hallway.

"Hey," he yelled loudly, startling the figure that had hold of Carol. The man knew he was busted and shoved Carol, hard, out of his way to flee. Daryl's immediate concern was for Carol's safety but that didn't stop him from tripping the man on his way by. As her attacker landed on his face with a thud Carol waved at Daryl to signify she was alright.

He immediately scrambled for the man who was trying to get to his feet again. Daryl charged and threw a shoulder into him, sending them both falling to the ground. He flipped the man over to see his face and right before Daryl's fist connected he recognized him as the man who had been perusing Carol that morning at breakfast. "She said no, asshole," Daryl seethed seconds before his fist slammed into the man's face with a sickening noise. He was about to punch again, as adrenaline and fury fuelled him, but the man shifted enough to buck Daryl off and scrambled to his feet. There was blood dripping from his, likely broken, nose as he turned and started to run. Daryl made a move to chase him but Carol's weak voice stopped him in his tracks, "no, leave him... I need you."

Daryl moved instantly to her side and dropped to his knees. "Fuck, are you okay? What did he do to you?" Daryl noticed her blouse was torn and she had marks on her neck and cheeks. "I'm going to kill him," Daryl said, before she could answer.

"No, please..." Carol sighed, looking completely exhausted. "You made it in time, you saved me. Nothing happened."

Daryl wasn't buying it, she looked terrified, defeated and lost. "Let me catch him at least, take him to security," Daryl begged.

Carol shook her head, "I'll report him in the morning. I promise." She met his eye and the look made Daryl want to vomit. It was a look he understood, completely. This wasn't the first time she'd been abused. "Can we just get out of here?" Carol asked, with a shiver. Daryl nodded and got to his feet offering her a hand. Carol placed a cold shaky hand in his and Daryl helped her stand. He could see immediately that she was weak, whether from the physical exhaustion of the fight or the emotional toll it took on her he wasn't sure. It was likely a bit of both. After her first step Daryl knew she was in no shape to walk.

"C'mere," he said softly, lifting her into is arms in one easy motion. Daryl sensed she was stubborn and he half expected her to protest. Carol surprised him though. She relaxed in his arms and looked him in the eye. "Thank you," she said, before tucking her head in against his shoulder. Daryl could feel her warm breath on his neck as he started to walk towards her room.

Carol was light. It was an easy trip down several hallways to her door. They only passed a couple of people but no one seemed to notice. They likely assumed she was intoxicated and he was taking her to bed. Daryl found it somewhat annoying that if that was the case he could be completely taking advantage of her and no one would give a shit. When he arrived in front of her door Daryl gently set Carol on her feet, holding her elbow for support while she dug the key out of her pocket and let them both in.

Daryl helped her to the bed where she sat down with a sigh. He stood in front of her fidgeting slightly, unsure of what to say. "Do you want to talk? Do you want me to go?" he asked shyly.

"No," her response came instantly after the second question, but Daryl wasn't sure which question she was answering. "Please don't leave," Carol added, solving the mystery. She looked up at him. "I will tell you everything soon, but right now..." her eyes searched his and he saw she was afraid to ask him something. "If you don't want to it's okay," she mumbled. "But I really need you to hold me for a while." Carol looked like a scared child and it hurt him to see her that way. This woman he barely knew was making him feel things he'd never even known he could feel in response to another's emotions.

"Of course," he nodded. The words came out easily. It wasn't as if he had any other choice. It would be strange and awkward for him, but there was no way Daryl could leave her knowing she needed and wanted him there. Daryl had never comforted someone before. He was a grown man and had never offered solace to another human being. But since he was a child no one had ever comforted him either. It wasn't as if a woman or two hadn't tried, but he was never willing to accept it. It never seemed like comfort, only pity.

Carol slid over to make room for him in the bed. She lay down and turned her back to him. Daryl hoped it meant she wanted him to spoon with her because that's what he did. As he stretched his body out beside her and lightly slung and arm over her waist he felt Carol back into him, seeking out the security of having him so close. She moved his awkwardly dangling hand to rest on her tummy, with her own hand set gently on top.

As much as the moment was supposed to be about comforting her, it was also very calming for Daryl as well. The desire to find the asshole who hurt her and beat his face in was slowly starting to fade. The remnants of connecting his fist to the man's nose were merely a tingling in his knuckles at that point, and having her hand on top of his was soothing that as well.

They stayed that way for a long time. Daryl really had no idea how long it was, other than it was a while. He didn't mind… until the crying started. He knew the second it started. He had gotten very accustomed to the up and down of her breathing, but when the tears started her breathing pattern changed completely, until her body shook silently.

Daryl panicked slightly. He had no idea what to do. Should he talk to her? Rub her back or something? He decided to just pull her tighter against him and remind her he was there. Daryl was pleasantly surprised when it seemed to work. The shaking slowed and eventually stopped. He felt Carol shift and he let go of her so she could roll onto her back. "I think I'm ready to talk now," she said, sniffing and wiping away the last of the moisture.

He waited patiently while she gathered herself and started into the story. "You obviously recognized that it was the same man who you saved me from at breakfast, right?" Daryl nodded. "Well he was drunk and I ran into him in the hallway leaving my room. He cornered me and got in my face about blowing him off this morning." Carol took a deep breath. "I got away and I thought it was over, but he followed me. As soon as we got in that dark hallway he attacked, pinning me against the wall and telling me he was going to teach me a lesson." She shuddered. "I could smell the whiskey on his breath…. It brought so much back…" Daryl wasn't surprised by the admission. He already knew from the look earlier that she'd been abused before. "I tried to fight him off, but he was so strong. He grabbed my face and then my neck when I squirmed. I thought I had him once, but he grabbed me again and that's when my shirt got ripped." Carol bit her lip, he could see she was trying not to cry. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't be so damn weak…"

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Daryl said soothingly.

"Anyway, he was reaching for… " Carol continued. "Reaching for my pants," she got out. "That's when you showed up. If you hadn't got there when you did…" Carol's voice trailed off and left the sickening thought hanging in the air for them both to ponder. Daryl felt the anger seething inside him again. Somehow Carol sensed it and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's over though. You got there in time and tomorrow we will go report him. He'll spend the rest of his trip somewhere that he can't try to hurt anyone else."

Daryl turned and studied her face. She looked like she wanted to tell him more, but wasn't sure how or where to start. "I know this isn't the first time you've been hurt," he said, very gently. Her eyes asked him how he knew.

Daryl took a deep breath. He was terrified by what he was about to do but he knew it was the right thing. He slipped out of bed and stood. With shaking hands he undid his shirt and let it fall to the floor. "I need you to know I understand," Daryl said. He turned around and Carol gasped. When he felt her soft fingertips touch his scars, for the first time in his life, he didn't flinch.


	5. Chapter 5

Her fingertips were delicate, but the damaged skin on his back was sensitive, even in areas that should have been numb. Daryl had never let anyone touch him like she was. Carol. A stranger. A stranger that he somehow felt a closer connection to than any other person he'd met in his whole life. He stood still and let her fingers move over the scars. Daryl closed his eyes and focussed on how it felt. Carol's touch raised goosebumps all over his body. It was such an intimate moment, even more so for a man like Daryl who didn't do intimate.

When it was over and she drew her hand away Daryl felt a sadness sweep over him, like something he'd wanted for a very long time had come and gone. And that's exactly what had happened. Daryl didn't realize until she touched him that he'd been waiting years for someone who understood, wouldn't judge him and most of all wouldn't pity him to see his scars and soothe them with only a brush of their fingertips. Carol was the only person he'd ever met who could touch his skin in a way that wasn't uncomfortable for him. In some way it was like she was touching far more than his physical scars. The level of understanding they shared meant she was also soothing his emotional scars too – without even a word.

Daryl picked up his shirt and slipped it back on. With anyone else he would have been terrified to turn around knowing that look of pity he loathed so much would be in their eyes. But this time he wasn't scared at all. He turned to see everything he'd hoped he would in her beautiful eyes. Carol told him she understood, she empathized and she was angry at whoever put the marks on his back. The anger was a surprise. He'd seen it before but it was always… always mixed with pity and it tainted it completely. In this case it made Daryl feel something different. It made him feel like he had someone on his side.

"Sit, I'll go first," Carol said, patting the bed beside her. Daryl sank down, angled slightly so he could look at her while she spoke. The way she said it indicated that she expected once she told her story that Daryl would reciprocate with his own, but Daryl knew she had no expectations of him. You only tell a story like theirs when you're completely comfortable with someone and when you're ready to share it. It made Daryl feel really good that Carol trusted him that deeply even though they'd just met. He knew damaged people tended to gravitate towards one another. It wasn't always a healthy relationship, but Daryl felt confident it this case it would be - for both of them.

"My ex-husband," Carol began. "He was abusive. Extremely abusive." She immediately looked ashamed and Daryl found himself reaching for her hand because he somehow knew that's what she needed. Daryl had never read social cues properly before but in this case it was like he was compelled to reach out to her, without any thought at all. Carol graciously accepted his offer and held his hand back every bit as much as he was holding hers. It was as if she already knew that what she had to say would open old wounds for him too. And it did. Her story of countless nights of drunken rage, punches, kicks, being hit with a belt… the images it pulled into Daryl's mind were not images of Carol and an asshole he'd never seen before, they were images of himself and an asshole Daryl called daddy.

At one point Carol squeezed his hand and stopped talking to give him a minute. This woman is incredible, Daryl thought, peeking at her. He couldn't figure out how someone could be so perceptive of another's needs. He wondered if she was like this with everyone? Daryl secretly hoped she wasn't. He hoped it was something special between them. He may never know the truth so he decided to believe the latter, simply because it made him feel so good, particularly when the memories were making him feel so bad.

"Did you want me to stop?" Carol asked gently, her voice teeming with concern. Daryl shook his head and tried to shake off with it the look on his face that he knew had caused her to stop speaking in the first place. She held his hand just a little tighter and went to a place in the story that Daryl couldn't relate to. It was a chapter of domestic rape and fears that he might turn his sexual needs towards their daughter. "That night," Carol said, a tear rolling down her cheek. "When I saw the way he was looking at Sophia…" she shook her head. "She was just a baby, she still is…" Carol met his eye, "that's the night I knew I had to get away from him. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it really hasn't been that long." She brushed the tear off her cheek. "That's another reason it's so hard to be away from her. I live my life to protect her now, the way I should have from the day she was born." Carol had a look of shame on her face again. "I'll never forgive myself for staying with him as long as I did." She shrugged, "But I am proud I found the strength to leave."

"I'm proud of you too," Daryl said, his voice barely above a whisper. He really didn't know this woman well enough to be proud of her, but he was. Daryl wondered if she would think what he said was stupid, but when he got up the courage to look at her face she was smiling.

"Thank you," Carol said, continuing to smile at him. Her face was so expressive and so captivating. Daryl could have stared into her eyes for hours and listened to everything she had to say without either of them ever speaking a word. They did stare, for a long time, until she finally spoke again, "if you don't want to tell me it's okay. Don't feel like you have to because I did."

"No, I think maybe… shit, I ain't told nobody before, not even my big brother… I need to tell someone…" Daryl struggled for words and he hadn't even started into the story yet. "I mean, when it comes down to it, there really ain't much to tell." This time it was Carol who reached for his hand. The moment they were touching again the words started to spill out of him. Daryl told her all about his peach of an old man. He told her about the same fits of drunken rage she'd experienced at the hand of her husband, and the same black eyes, bruised ribs, dislocated shoulders. And he told her how he'd got the scars on his back – from the furious whips of his daddy's belt. Not all at once. A few here, a few there. One night of beating that left him passed out on the floor, waking up beside his dad who had finished whipping him then drank himself into a deep sleep. "I almost killed him that night," Daryl said, seething with anger as he relieved that moment. "I pointed a gun at him. Right at his head. But I couldn't do it. No matter how many fucking times he beat the shit out of me, he was still my old man and I just couldn't take his life." Daryl took a deep breath. "But I left before he woke up. Packed up what little shit I had and got the fuck out of there."

Carol didn't say a word until he looked at her, "I'm proud of you." It was nearly the exact statement he'd made to her only moments before. No one had ever told Daryl they were proud of him and her words struck him, deeply. They were the very words he'd always wanted to hear from his dad, yet coming from her they meant even more than he could have imagined.

They looked at each other and shared a silent thank you. It was genuine on both ends. Daryl knew she was just as thankful to him for listening and sharing his story as he was to her for the same. They had made a connection, a bond, in a single day that could take people years to develop. Silence that was normally awkward was beautiful with Carol and Daryl, being a man of few words, appreciated it.

"So, I guess maybe… I should leave now? Let you get some sleep?" Daryl was hesitant because he really didn't want to leave her alone with the guy still out there. Her door would lock behind him, but at some point she would leave the room and Daryl wanted to be there when she did.

"Um Daryl, I feel like an idiot for even asking, but is there any chance you would consider staying here tonight? I'm still really shaken up over what happened and I uh, I just really don't want to be alone…" Carol sighed. "Okay, I'm scared. There I said it," she added quickly.

Daryl felt a smile on his lips and he quickly tried to hide it. "Oh yeah, of course I can stay." He looked around the tiny room, wondering where exactly he was going to sleep.

"Oh, uh…" Carol immediately figured out what was going on in his mind. "Well we've already cuddled," she laughed. "Sleeping in the same bed shouldn't be an issue right?" Her cute, flirty side had returned, even after the trauma of the night. Daryl shrugged and they both lay down in the bed, fully clothed. "Night Daryl," Carol said softly.

"Night," he replied, closing his eyes and trying to forget there was a gorgeous woman lying in bed with him.

"Daryl?" she said moments later. He grunted a reply. "If um, well if I wanted to cuddle again later on, ya know, if I get scared in the night… would that be okay?"

This time Daryl couldn't hide the smile, luckily she couldn't see it. "Mmm hmm, that would be okay."


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl hadn't even fallen asleep yet when Carol scooted closer, snuggling into his warmth. He knew it would happen sooner or later, she seemed to need the comfort of knowing she wasn't alone. It was nice for him too on one hand, but on the other it was pure torture. If Daryl could keep his mind focussed on the trauma she had gone through that evening and the terrible secrets they had disclosed to each other, then everything was fine. Carol was merely in his arms, innocently sleeping and seeking solace.

But there were other feelings inside him that Daryl had to continuously fight. The stirring low in his belly when she shifted and sighed. The desire to touch her face every time he glanced down at it. The fact that her touching him, completely innocently, was giving him a ginormous boner that had him utterly mortified.

No matter how many times Daryl called himself a disgusting pervert for thinking of sex at a time like that, it couldn't dispel his desire for Carol. The only thing that was going to help at that point was sleep and it didn't seem to want to come along and help him out. Carol shifted again and settled a hand on his chest. Her hand had slipped through the hole between his buttons and her bare fingers were touching his chest. Daryl was almost positive the increase in heart rate and thumping of his pulse on her fingertips was going to wake her up, but it didn't. She settled quickly and her breathing evened out once again.

In the process though, his dick had grown even harder and was pressing uncomfortable against the constraint of his pants. Daryl needed to shift, badly, but he didn't want to risk waking her so he lay there still, hoping the slight pain would deter his hormones. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect and was a constant reminder of how turned on he was.

Mercifully after what felt like hours, but was likely less than a single hour, Carol rolled over, untangling herself from his embrace and turning her back to him to lay on her other side. Daryl swallowed a groan as he was finally able to get his dick in a more comfortable position. Now to sleep, Daryl thought. He focused on sadness, death, disease and all that was wrong with the world, fighting away any pleasurable thoughts of the beauty beside him. Eventually it worked and Daryl slept.

He was completely disoriented when he woke the next morning. Carol's bed was on the other side of the room to what his was and Daryl certainly wasn't expecting a pair of beautiful eyes to be watching him when he woke. He sat up in shock as the memories started to flood back finally allowing his brain to clue in to his surroundings.

"Morning Sunshine," Carol said, with a gorgeous smile. The first thought in Daryl's mind was that he would give anything to wake up to a smile like that every single morning. Thoughts like that were not generally in his repertoire and Daryl felt somewhat confused as to the craziness going on inside him. He realized that he must have looked like an idiot when Carol cocked her head to the side and spoke, "you okay? You look… terrified… confused… can't quite put my finger on it."

Daryl stretched and yawned. "Yeah, I'm just fine. Took me a while to get to sleep," he said truthfully. "Guess I'm just a bit tired still."

"Was it me?" Carol asked. Daryl sensed a bit of insecurity in her voice, which made him angry because he now knew exactly where her insecurities stemmed from.

"No it wasn't you," Daryl started. "Well not you specifically," he added. "I just ain't used to sharing a bed, that's all."

"I'm sorry," Carol said sincerely. "I'll let you go back to your own bed tonight." Daryl experienced a twinge of sadness at sleeping anywhere but right beside her and once again he would up conflicted and confused. Somehow he needed to get all the thoughts rolling around in his brain sorted out, but it wasn't the time. They had to get to security and report her story.

"We should go talk to the cops or whatever soon, report what happened last night," Daryl said. Carol nodded, she was ready and willing to report the asshole who had hurt her. "I'll go to my room and get showered and stuff while you get ready here. But promise you won't leave this room until I'm back okay?" he said seriously. Daryl knew some women were stubborn, even if it made them stupid, but he was pretty sure Carol would understand.

"Sounds good," she replied. Daryl stood and started for the door. "Hey, wait," Carol said, scrambling out of bed. She fished around in her purse and pulled out her room key. "Take it, let yourself back in. That way I don't have to open the door to anyone." Daryl reached out and took the key from her hand. Their fingers brushed and he felt a strange tingle starting from where she touched him and coursing quickly through his entire body. Blood rushed immediately to his penis, then just as quickly to his face. Daryl turned away, knowing he was blushing.

"Uh thanks, be back soon," he said, making a beeline for the door and shutting in securely behind him. The entire way back to his room Daryl wanted to just start running but forced himself to keep it to a quick walk instead. No need to look suspicious.

A few minutes later he was in his room, stripped naked and climbing into the shower. "Jesus," he muttered, looking down at his dick, standing tall with no inclination of getting soft any time soon without help. What the fuck is wrong with me? Daryl wondered, grasping his shaft and starting to stroke. His mind snapped immediately to Carol. He could see her eyes and her stunning face, and he could feel her warm body curled up against him, the swell of her breasts pushed against his side, the way her fingers had brushed his chest… He picked up the pace, feeling his knees grow weak and a dizziness he'd never felt before going at it solo. Daryl knew it was more to do with the thoughts of this incredible woman who had completely captivated him in one day, than it did with stroking his cock.

The process certainly didn't take long at all and finally Daryl could focus on actually showering. While he lathered and scrubbed though, he took some time to try and sort out his thoughts a bit. He didn't get far. Every path he took just ended up with Daryl deciding he was a moron and that she would think the same if she had any idea what was going on in his mind. How could anyone feel what he was feeling for Carol in just over 24 hours? It wasn't logical. It wasn't normal. Was it even possible? Or was he just completely delusional? Daryl didn't know what love felt like. He'd never been in love with a woman before. But he knew he was feeling something novel for her. Something special. Something really good. So why did he also feel like such a creep?

His thinking time had run out – shower was over. Daryl shook his head and focussed on brushing his teeth and getting dressed as quickly as he could then getting back to Carol's room. When he arrived in front of her door he slipped the key card in and pulled it out, then opened the door, letting himself inside.

"Hey, I'm almost ready," Carol called out from the bathroom. "2 minutes." Daryl looked around the room and opted to sit on the bed and wait. It brought back memories, but he was able to keep his mind and body from reacting as fiercely as before. She appeared in the bathroom doorway wearing black capris and a white, skin tight camisole. Daryl tried, unsuccessfully, not to stare at the cleavage that was popping out of the top. If Carol noticed she pretended she didn't, reaching for the sheer top she was wearing over the cami and slipping it on. "Okay, let's do this," she said, taking a deep breath.

Daryl nodded and led the way out of her room towards the main dining areas and such. The first crew member he saw he stopped. "Excuse me, we need to speak with security - report an assault." The crew member nodded gravely and quickly led them to a room to wait. Soon after, two security guards entered.

The process was a lot quicker than Daryl expected it would be. Carol didn't know the man's last name, only that his first name was Bill. She got through the story without breaking down, but opted to hold Daryl's hand the entire time. When she had told them everything she remembered and they made notes they explained what would happen from that point. Because there were no true authorities on the ship, though the security guards were like acting police for the duration of the cruise, the case would be taken over by the FBI as soon as they hit land in the U.S. again. In the mean time they would do whatever they could to try and find her attacker and detain him for the remainder of the trip.

"Ma'am, he's still out there somewhere and there's always the chance he might come after you again. Until we find him I don't recommend you spending any time alone," one of the guards said to her. "We can find someone to shadow you if necessary…" his voice trailed off, eying Daryl, unsure of their relationship.

Carol went to speak but Daryl interrupted, "That won't be necessary. I won't let her out of my sight." Their eyes met as the words flew out of his mouth. He hadn't hesitated at all or even considered asking her opinion but the twinkle in her eye told Daryl that wasn't an issue.

"Thank you," she said softly, giving his hand a squeeze. He nodded silently.

Well at least now I have a good excuse to follow her around like a stalker, Daryl thought. He couldn't hide the smile from his face. And when he looked at Carol again… he saw that she couldn't either.


	7. Chapter 7

Neither Daryl or Carol mentioned a thing about what was going to occur that evening until after they had a late supper and darkness had approached. "So uh, is it gonna be your place or mine?" Carol said with a smile. Daryl tried not to read into it, but it sounded almost a bit flirty.

Daryl had actually considered the answer to her question several times that day, while he kept an eye out for a man with some serious damage to his face. There was a chance the man knew where Carol's room was. So Daryl had been weighing the option of staying there in hopes the asshole might actually show up and Daryl could catch him. Or there was the security of staying in Daryl's room instead, where the man would have no idea where to find her if he was indeed thinking of trying again.

By lunch time Daryl had made his decision. Carol's safety was the most important thing. The man couldn't hide for long, especially with that much damage to his nose. Security would track him down eventually.

"Probably safer to stay in my room," Daryl replied. "Ain't no way he'll find you there."

"I was thinking the same thing," Carol concurred. "Shall we head back to my room to get my stuff?"

Daryl nodded and followed her. The day had been interesting. By the time they were done with the authorities they had missed breakfast altogether. There was a whale watching boat that was heading out after lunch so they signed up and by 2pm that afternoon they were in the middle of the pacific looking for marine life. "I've never done anything like this before," Carol exclaimed as the guide pointed out a school of dolphins.

"Me neither," Daryl echoed. He wasn't overly thrilled about leaving the large cruise ship for this smaller vessel and spending hours watching for animals likely larger than the boat itself. Instead of whale watching Daryl found himself Carol watching. Seeing her happy and delighted each time they spotted something was way more thrilling for him that the damn porpoises and other large fish.

At one point the guide chummed the waters and sure enough drew the attention of a few sharks. "Jesus fucking Christ," Daryl muttered. "I've lived almost 40 years just to be eaten by Jaws on a singles cruise."

Carol laughed. "I'm pretty sure these aren't great whites. Don't you watch Shark week?" He couldn't quite glare at her, not when she smiled at him that way. But he tried his best. "Oh stop," Carol said. "Tomorrow you can pick what we do okay?" The sun was shining in her blue eyes making them sparkle like diamonds. Daryl couldn't look away if he tried.

By the time they got back to the ship it was near dark and they were both starving. They had dinner and finally got around to talking about the plan for the night, followed by heading to Carol's room. She didn't take long to pack up what she needed into a small duffel bag and soon they were on their way back to his cabin. "Hey, since we're pretty much going by it anyway, wanna go check out our spot for a while?" Carol asked. Daryl gave her a look, wondering if she would be okay to pass through the area she'd been attacked. "I'm fine," she assured him. "I have you by my side. I feel safe." Her comment was simple and matter of fact, but it struck Daryl hard. She felt safe. With him. He noticed she walked just a little bit closer as they entered the hallway. If he wasn't so damn shy he would have reached for her hand and held it. Daryl was pretty sure she would have liked that, but the tiny percent of him that wasn't completely sure won out and he kept his hands to himself.

"Oh God, it's so beautiful," Carol sighed as they stepped out into the night. The moon was big and bright once again and the sky was filled with stars. Carol set her bag down and climbed up to where they had sat the night they met. This time she offered her hand and helped Daryl up. He took a seat beside her, smiling as she slipped a little bit closer to him. "Hey, I'm really sorry I got you into this mess," Carol said softly.

"It's okay," he replied. "I really didn't have nothing better to do." Carol leaned into him and gently bumped his shoulder, letting him know she understood he was teasing her and also thanking him for being okay with the situation. "Look, you can see the big dipper," Daryl said, pointing up into the sky. He knew a lot of constellations. Merle had given him a book as a kid and Daryl would lay out on the back porch and stare up into the night, trying to find as many as he could. He pointed out a few more to Carol. "See that star there, the really bright one, it's part of Orion's belt." Carol leaned closer to follow his line of sight. He could smell her hair, the scent of her shampoo still lingering in her short grey curls.

"I still don't see it," she said, turning to face him. Carol hadn't backed off at all before she turned, leaving them very close, lips just inches apart.

"Oh uh.. it's right…" Daryl started to stammer like a bumbling fool and he felt his face flush bright red.

Suddenly Carol's hand was on his flaming red cheek. "Shh, it's okay," she said gently. "Maybe you can try to show me again tomorrow?" Daryl nodded and took a deep breath, her hand still resting on his face. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but couldn't move. "Should we head back?" Carol said softly. Daryl nodded again, his cheek rubbing against her hand. They had both agreed it was time to leave, yet neither one of them made any move towards getting down.

Daryl locked his eyes on hers, waiting for her to speak, or let go of his face, or make some movement, anything at all. But she simply stared back at him, not moving an inch. Carol's eyes dropped to his lips and Daryl felt his heart rate pick up. Does she want me to kiss her? He wondered. Is she going to kiss me? He had no idea what to do. He was usually half drunk when he was with a woman in an intimate situation. And the women had never meant much to him. There was never one he cared deeply about. It was always about sex, nothing emotional attached.

But with Carol it was different. He'd already shared more about himself with her than anyone on the planet, other than his abuser, knew about. Daryl's own brother knew less. They had a connection and he certainly didn't want to do anything to ruin it. While he was contemplating what to do Carol made the decision for him. She pressed her lips to his and Daryl froze in shock.

When he didn't kiss her back Carol pulled away quickly. "Oh shit, that was stupid, I'm so sorry," she mumbled, turning away and quickly hopping down, away from him. Fuck, you idiot, Daryl screamed at himself inside his head. By the time he got down, Carol had already picked up her bag and was walking away. Do something you jack ass…

"Carol, wait," he called, jogging to catch up. She was just about at the doorway to head back inside. "You didn't… I'm mean…" Daryl was fumbling for words again as he caught up and grabbed for her hand, making her drop the bag to the ground. He stopped her and tugged lightly to spin Carol around. She looked extremely embarrassed and Daryl hated himself for making her feel that way. "Please… it's… uh… I… Oh for fuck sakes," Daryl grumbled. Words were not working, not at all. So he quit talking. In one step he closed the gap between them. In two steps he backed Carol against the wall. Before his brain had a chance to pussy out Daryl leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth.

Carol gasped but returned his kiss immediately. Daryl somehow found the courage to lick at her lips, then slip his tongue into her mouth when Carol parted them. She tasted so good he felt his knees buckle slightly. Daryl pressed himself up against her, just a little bit tighter, to save his weak legs. Carol moaned as their tongues touched, over and over. The sound just about dropped him to the ground. She was so fucking sexy and the way she kissed him back was nothing short of incredible.

The crazy thing about kissing Carol was that even though he was completely turned on and his dick was solid, he had no thoughts of fucking her yet. All he wanted to do was continue to kiss her and feel her body pressed against his, and listen to the little sighs and moans she made. If nothing more happened after they parted, kissing her was enough. It was the first time Daryl had ever felt that way.

When they finally did part they were both flushed and breathless. Daryl backed away slightly to give her space. Their eyes met and Daryl was sure she looked happy. Very happy. "I guess we should, uh, head back to your room how, huh?"

Daryl had no idea if it was an invitation for more in private, or a comment to break the silence, or something else entirely. But it didn't matter. When she turned, picked up the bag again, and started to walk he knew he would follow the woman anywhere.


	8. Chapter 8

When they stepped into Daryl's room it was suddenly not anywhere near as neat and tidy as he had remembered leaving it. Fuck, it looks like a bachelor pig sty, even after maids had come and made the bed, he thought. Daryl started to wander around and quickly gather up things that were out of place, and straighten out other things. "You don't have to do that for me," Carol said. He detected a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh I wasn't," Daryl lied. "Just didn't realize I left it so messy. I ain't usually like this." The look on Carol's face told him she wasn't buying his story at all, but she didn't say another word, just waited patiently while he did what he had to do. "There," he mumbled when he was finally satisfied with the look of the room. Suddenly Daryl remembered the bathroom and quickly ducked inside to find his dirty pants and underwear in a pile on the floor. He picked them up, rolled them in a ball and made a beeline for the closet, tossed them inside and shut the door.

Finally he looked at Carol again, who hadn't moved an inch, though the smile on her face was even bigger by that point. "I really am sorry I've kept you from tidying up..." she said. Daryl knew she was teasing him and found himself smiling back, yet he had no response for her. "I think I like the layout of your room better," Carol said, breaking the silence as she wandered around the tiny room. "I know it's essentially the same," she continued. "But I guess this arrangement just suits my brain better."

"Guess we made the right choice then," Daryl stated. It sounded stupid. Why did everything that came out of his mouth sound so god damn stupid lately, he wondered.

"Yep, definitely," Carol replied. She had wandered back to where he waited and was standing right in front of him, close enough that he could smell her damn shampoo again. "I guess we should get ready for bed, huh?" It came out as a question when it was likely more of a statement, but Daryl liked the fact that every once in a while she seemed a little less than absolutely confident. It made his complete lack of gumption seem a bit less awful. "Did you want the bathroom or out here?" she asked.

It took Daryl longer than it should have to figure out what she was talking about, likely because he was still distracted by how good she smelled. She's asking where you want to get changed numb nuts, Daryl's brain said when it finally kicked in. "Oh, I uh, I guess I'm fine out here," he replied.

"'kay," Carol said, taking her bag into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her with a click.

Daryl wandered to his closet wondering what the hell he was going to wear to bed. He usually slept either naked or in his underwear, neither of which were going to be appropriate for that night. He started pulling things out… jeans, cargo shorts, swim trunks… "Oh here we go," he muttered, picking up a pair of sweat pants. He was going to wear a t-shirt too but it would be way too hot, he decided. She'd already seen the scars on his back, so what would it hurt for her to see them again? Daryl changed quickly and tossed his dirty clothes into the closet with the stuff from earlier.

There was only a little mirror, but he wandered over to take a peek at himself. His broad shoulders and muscular arms were a hard earned blessing. A lot of time spent lifting weights in Merle's garage. The pants hung low on his hips and when Daryl tried to pull them up a bit they just slinked back down. No fucking drawstring, he noted, checking the inside of the waist band. They would have to do. "Can I come out now?" Carol called from behind the bathroom door.

"Yep," Daryl replied, taking a long deep breath, suddenly nervous and self-conscious. He knew somewhere inside he really was a good looking guy, but it wasn't something he outwardly felt. He hoped she wouldn't be put off by what he was wearing…or not wearing. Dammit, maybe I should have put a shirt on… Too late, the door swung open and Carol emerged. Holy shit, his brain screamed when he saw her. Daryl knew he needed to calm the fuck down or it was going to be pretty obvious what was stirring in his pants before too long. The joggers would not do much at all to hide a hard on. But Carol looked so sexy, he couldn't help but let his eyes wash over her from head to toe. She was wearing a silky two piece pajama set. The top half was basically a loose fitting camisole with spaghetti straps and the bottom was capris, made of the same silky, light pink material. It wasn't lingerie, not even close, it may have even been a bit on the conservative side, but Daryl's dick didn't know that. "Uh, um," he gulped. "You look nice." Once again Daryl was sure his words sounded fucking stupid.

Carol blushed and Daryl felt a little better. "I've never owned silky PJs before this trip," she said. "Ed never let me buy nice things," Carol shrugged. "I know it's not anything that special, but it is for me."

How does she not know how fucking amazing she looks? Daryl wondered. He couldn't figure out how sometimes she was so confident and other times she seemed just as shy as he was. "It's beautiful," Daryl stated quickly, before he lost his nerve.

"Thank you," she said, blushing again, rubbing her hands over the silky material on her stomach. When she did it pulled the material tight across her chest and Daryl could see the outline of her nipples. If he'd thought about it he would have known she wasn't wearing a bra, but it was something he was avoiding considering, for good reason. The ache in his groin intensified and he knew he was screwed.

Now what? Daryl wondered. Should he just go climb in bed and hope she didn't notice the tent in his pants? Should he kiss her again? Should he say something? Talk some more? Once again Carol saved him, "Come sit for a minute." She walked to the edge of the bed and took a seat waiting for Daryl to join her. He did and attempted to sit in the least awkward pose that would best hide Captain Happy. "I haven't properly thanked you for everything you've done for me," she started.

"You ain't gotta thank me," Daryl interrupted.

"Yeah, I do," Carol insisted. "You took a chance on me when you barely knew me. You found out I was bruised and broken and you didn't run, you stayed, even then. You make me feel safe Daryl. I haven't felt safe since I was a child."

"You make me feel safe too," he whispered. It was supposed to stay in his head. She wasn't supposed to hear it. But somehow the words slipped out and he felt a look of panic jump onto his face.

"Please don't do that," Carol said gently. "Don't be afraid to say things to me."

"I'm sorry," Daryl muttered. "It's just… I don't…" he searched hard for the right words. "I don't know how to do this…"

"Do what?" Carol asked.

"This… any of this…" Daryl felt his cheeks burning. "I ain't never had anyone I wanted to talk to before," he admitted, feeling completely embarrassed.

"Wanna know a secret?" Carol said, smiling at him and meeting his eye. Daryl waited for her to continue. "I haven't really had any one I wanted to talk to much either." He was surprised at her confession. "Ed kept me on a pretty short leash. I wasn't allowed to get close to anyone because they might learn what he was really like. He isolated me from everyone, for a lot of years," Carol paused. "It's only recently I've got close to my family again and it's been wonderful."

"But you're good at it…" Daryl said, dumbfounded.

She laughed, "you'll get good at it too, just takes practice." Carol put a hand on his knee, "it's easy with you. I don't know why, but it is." She gently squeezed his leg, "we can practice and learn, together." Carol's hand was lingering on his leg. It was resting near his knee by she might as well of been stroking him, for the way his cock was reacting. "I need a bit of practice with something else too…" Carol said, her eyes drifting to his lips. It felt like slow motion as she inched closer and brushed his lips. Daryl felt electricity course through him once again. Her lips were soft and wet and the instant they touched his he craved more kisses like a drug.

They were positioned rather awkwardly so Carol shifted, lifting a leg over his lap, straddling him. The first thing that flew into his mind was that she was going to feel his massive erection. But the second her lips reconnected with his Daryl didn't give a fuck about anything but making sure she didn't stop. Carol was sitting up on her knees at first, but she sunk down lower into his lap and groaned into his mouth as she settled against his firm dick. At that point Daryl was no longer embarrassed about the boner he was sporting. It was turning her on and that's all that mattered. He settled his hands on her hips, feeling the silky material against his palms. Daryl pulled her down harder into his lap and Carol wriggled against him - their moans were pretty much simultaneous.

He couldn't resist sliding a hand up her shirt, knowing there was nothing under it. Daryl kept one hand firmly on her ass, keeping her flush against him at the hips, but worked the other hand between them, under her top, finding the swell of her breast and cupping it in his hand. It was perfect. Her skin was smooth, her tit fit perfectly in his hand, and when he moved to her nipple it was almost as hard as his penis. There was so much going on Daryl was feeling overwhelmed. He didn't know what part of his body to focus on. It was like there were 35 people trying to talk to him at the same time and he wanted to scream in frustration yet he needed to know what every single one of them was saying to him. He wanted to taste her kiss, focus on how her good her tits felt, think about the throbbing in his pants, concentrate on the feel of her sweet ass in his hand and listen to the moans escaping her lips, but it was all too much… And all Daryl could focus on was not freaking out completely.

But like she always seemed to do Carol saved him. "Daryl?" she said, pulling back and looking into his eyes. "I think maybe we should stop now..." her words were neither confident or sure. "I mean, if you want to we can... It's not like I don't want to..." Daryl though it was absolutely adorable to watch her struggle for words. "I just think that maybe you... No, both of us, might need things to go a little slower." When Daryl didn't reply right away she kept talking. "Like, not a lot slower, we aren't on this ship for that much longer, and I honestly don't think either one of us will hold out for too long, but it's been a long day and... Fuck, am I making any sense here?" she sighed.

Daryl was pretty sure it was the first time he'd heard her use the F-word and it threw him off momentarily. When he collected himself Daryl pulled her off him, lay down in the bed and then tugged her down, tucking Carol against his side, and holding her close. "You always make perfect sense to me," he whispered into her hair, inhaling the scent of her once again, wanting to fall asleep with her smell in his brain. "Sleep," he said, feeling Carol relax in his arms. Somehow she knew he needed to stop. Or maybe both of them needed it.

It blew him away that she was either so intuitive she could read him like a book, or their thoughts were that perfectly in sync. For once he truly didn't want to just fuck her and get it over with. There was something special about Carol and he wanted to savor every moment until they were both ready. Whether that was the next morning, or the next night, or maybe even beyond that, he didn't care. Daryl wasn't a romantic guy. He wasn't loving or gentle. He wasn't emotional or socially skilled. He had always been a bit fucked up and a whole lot awkward. But this man, this soft and passionate person he was in Carol's arms... Maybe it was who he was always supposed to be. He wasn't sure yet, but Daryl hoped to hell they would have enough time together for him to figure it out.


	9. Chapter 9

When Daryl woke the next morning Carol was already up and he could hear the shower running. He was usually a very light sleeper but somehow she had snuck out of bed without him even noticing. Daryl stretched and the second he moved he realized that he had to pee, really badly.

When he got out of bed and stood up things only got worse. "Holy fuck," he hissed, trying to figure out what to do. Daryl walked to the door of the bathroom and knocked. "Any chance you're almost done?" He called out. "I really gotta piss."

"Um, I just got in," Carol yelled back. "But the glass is all steamed up so you can just come in I guess."

"I'll wait," he called back, even though he had to pee so bad it hurt.

"It's fine, just come in," Carol insisted.

Daryl clicked open the door. I'll head straight to the toilet, take a leak and right back out, he thought. Look straight ahead, Daryl told himself. He made it to the toilet, lifted the seat and whipped out his dick. He aimed the stream into the bowl and tried not to sigh with relief. He also said a silent thank you to The Lord that he didn't have morning wood. It was damn near impossible to hit the toilet then, without some seriously fancy maneuvers.

Daryl was just doing his final shake when he heard Carol speak. "Oh shit," she muttered. "Hey, before you leave can you pass in that pink bottle on the counter?" She asked, sliding the glass enough to peek her head out. Daryl grabbed it and closed his eyes, turning back towards the shower and attempting to hand it to her. He let go too early and the bottle dropped to the floor. He had to open his eyes to find it, but Carol was reaching for it too and suddenly he was staring at her naked body.

His eyes were locked on the tits that had been in his hand the night before. They were every bit as perfect as he'd imagined they would be. Daryl knew he should turn away but Carol was frozen in place, not making any effort to cover herself, and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander down her wet body. She had amazing curves for a woman who looked so thin in her clothes. He looked down past her navel, incredibly surprised to find she was completely bare down below. Daryl must have looked shocked because when he finally tore his eyes away to look back up to her face Carol was blushing. He got the impression this may have been something new for her. He also got the urge to pull her out of the shower, take her to bed and burry his face between her legs and explore with his tongue. That urge told him he needed to get the fuck out of there or her plan of taking things a bit slower was completely out the window.

"Uh, here you go," Daryl said, handing her the bottle he'd picked up.

"Thanks," Carol replied. The blush was gone and he saw something different, something playful on her face. She turned around, but didn't shut the door, giving Daryl a full on view of her ass.

He couldn't supress the groan and Daryl knew she heard it when Carol shot him a sexy grin over her shoulder and shut the glass door. With nothing left to see other than steamy glass and shadows Daryl turned and left, then spent the next 15 minutes thinking about what he'd just witnessed until she finally emerged, fully clothed. "All yours," she said, smiling sweetly. Daryl couldn't even look at her as he gathered up his shit and made his way to the bathroom.

Daryl turned the cold water on full with just a touch of hot. The cold shower was about the only thing that would quickly take care of his budding erection. He was pretty sure his poor dick had never been through this much trauma, ever. Carol was making him crazy. His body wanted one thing and his mind wanted something else. While his hormones were saying to just fuck her, his head was saying not to rush it – just let it happen. Daryl knew it would happen. He knew she wanted it just as much as he did and that was comforting. What he was nervous about was how exactly it was going to go. Daryl knew how to fuck a woman. He understood the mechanics of the act and he knew how to do things to please a woman. But he rarely gave a shit about anything other than getting off himself so he hadn't really put many of those actions into practice in a long time.

The only thing Daryl knew for sure was that when they finally took that step he had to taste her. He would stay down there as long as she needed to take her over the edge, and he would enjoy every second of it. Daryl forced himself to quit thinking about how good her pussy was going to taste and focus on getting showered as quickly as possible.

When he was done Daryl turned off the taps, slid open the door and stepped out. "What the fuck?" he squeaked, when he realized Carol was standing there holding a towel to hand him.

"Just evening the score," she replied.

Daryl knew she was checking out his package. "The shower was cold," he mumbled, looking down at his slightly shrivelled cock.

"Hmm…" was all she said, before tossing him the towel and leaving the room.

Hmm, what the fuck does hmm mean? Daryl wondered as he toweled himself off. Did she think he was too small? He was pretty sure he was above average. But what if her ex-husband was a behemoth or something and she was comparing him to that? Daryl's heart was racing with panic as he got dressed. Once he'd brushed his teeth, combed his hair and decided he looked presentable, Daryl took a calming breath and exited the bathroom.

"Hmm was a good thing," Carol said as soon as she saw his face. For fuck sakes, Daryl though. How does she do that every damn time? The panic eased with her comment though and he relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry, by the way," Carol added. "I shouldn't have done that."

Daryl shook his head, "It's okay. I didn't have to look… but I did." He felt his cheeks burning again. He hated that he was such a pussy sometimes, embarrassed about everything. But this was one time it really felt like there was a lot at stake. He wanted to make a good impression. He actually cared about what Carol thought of him. A lot.

"Did you… oh never mind," Carol said, looking away.

"Did I what?" Daryl found himself smiling once again. "Did I like what I saw?" She looked at him and nodded slightly. Daryl somehow found the balls to close the gap between them and slip an arm around her body, drawing Carol closer. "More than I would ever admit," he whispered in her ear. "Whoops," Daryl added, before kissing her neck. Daryl didn't have the willpower to stop if he allowed things to get too far, so he moved to her lips and kissed her gently. No tongue, nothing passionate, just a sweet lingering kiss on the lips to let her know he thought she was beautiful, but was still respecting the whole taking it slow thing for as long as it would last.

"So I think we should check in with security first thing," Daryl said, after releasing her. "See if they have any updates… caught him… anything like that."

"Sounds good," Carol agreed and they left the confines of the tiny room.

After speaking with security Daryl left angry. "How the fuck can they not find a man with a messed up face?" he grumbled. "He can't have stayed locked in his room all this time. He has to fucking eat at some point." The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. "I bet they aren't even looking," he fumed. "Well that's fine, if they aren't going to find that asshole then I will."

"Hey," Carol said, putting a hand on his forearm and stopping him. "We only have another 2 nights together on this boat," she said gently. "Don't let him ruin it. Don't let him waste what time we have left. He's already hurt me enough." Carol slid her hand down his arm and placed her hand in his. "Focus on us, okay? Okay?" she pressed a little harder after he didn't respond the first time.

Daryl sighed. He knew she was right, but the more he cared about her the more he wanted vindication for what happened. The idiot that attacked her deserved to be detained for the rest of the trip and he deserved to land his ass in jail as soon as they were home. Carol squeezed his hand. "Okay," he replied, agreeing to let it go. But he would be watching and if he spotted the jerk there was no way he could be stopped from chasing him down and marching him straight to security.

The day was fairly relaxing. True to her word Carol allowed Daryl to decide what they were going to do. And true to his character Daryl completely avoided all organized activity. They wandered the ship, exploring areas they had never been to before. It was the closest thing Daryl could find to wandering around the woods, hunting. Carol must have had an inkling that Daryl was still looking for her attacker, but as long as he remained calm and mostly focussed on what they were doing she left him alone to search.

So they wandered and they talked. Daryl learned more about her family and her childhood – the good stuff. Carol told him more about Sophia – the day she was born, what she was like, how much she meant to her and how it was essentially her love for Sophia that finally got her away from Ed. Daryl told her about Merle – the good stuff. There wasn't much else good in his life to talk about. His mom died when he was young. He didn't really know any other family members. His dad was an asshole. For years Merle was all he had. Daryl would never admit it, but he actually had a tiny ache in his heart for his big brother. He'd only been away a few days and he actually missed Merle. If it wasn't for the beautiful distraction by his side it likely would have been worse. But Carol captivated 99.9% of his attention, 99.9% of the time.

As evening approached the various night clubs and bars were livening up. They wandered past one and a slow song was playing. Daryl watched as Carol wistfully looked at the couples on the dance floor swaying to the music. She wanted to dance, even he could see that. Daryl wasn't ready for another moment on the dance floor surrounded by strangers yet. But he did have an idea.

"Come on," he said, motioning for Carol to follow him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following.

"You know," Daryl said, looked back at her with a smile. Of course they were going to the same spot they had planned to spend the last three evenings, even though one of them was horribly interrupted. But Daryl had a surprise planned and for once he was confident she would like it. When they arrived Carol started to climb up to where they always sit. "Wait," Daryl said, stopping her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. Merle had put a bunch of music on it before he'd left. He told Daryl he put the sissy shit on there in case he needed to romance a lady or two or three. For once Daryl was thankful for something Merle had done. He scrolled through the songs and found one that would work. It wasn't until much later as he listened to the lyrics that Daryl realized the song might have hit far closer to home than he ever could have imagined.

Daryl turned up the volume and set the phone in a secure spot, then held out his hand to Carol as the music started to play. She looked shocked at first. "You wanted to dance back there, didn't you?" he asked softly.

Carol nodded and took his hand. "See you're getting better at reading people already," she said, allowing Daryl to pull her into his arms.

"I'm getting better at reading you," he whispered into her ear as Carol tucked her face close to his. They quit talking and Daryl listened to the lyrics of the song he'd picked: _Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'. Do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand? Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? Is this burning an eternal flame?_

All the very questions he could have easily been wondering were playing from his phone while he held the most incredible woman he'd ever met in his arms. She felt so good, moving with him to the music. Daryl had never been much of a dancer, but he could fake his way through a slow dance if he needed to. With Carol it was natural. She fit perfectly in his embrace, moved perfectly with his lead, and Daryl was pretty sure her heart was beating right along with his, very quickly.

The next few lines of the song struck Daryl, leaving him feeling weak: _Say my name. Sun shines through the rain. A whole life so lonely. And then come and ease the pain. I don't want to lose this feeling._

Carol must have been listening and thinking the same thing because she drew back and looked at him. He didn't realize exactly how lonely his life had been until that moment when Daryl knew he wasn't lonely with her. He didn't realize how much pain he'd felt until she eased it. And he sure as hell didn't want to lose the feelings she had brought out in him, or any feelings she would bring out in the future.

The dance halted at that point and a long, deep kiss took over. Daryl needed her so badly it hurt. The kiss was absolutely amazing but it wasn't enough, he needed more. When they parted, breathless, he knew Carol needed more too. The aroused look on her face was undoing him completely. "I want you Daryl," she whispered. Hearing her say his name, her voice so filled with lust, was almost too much to bear. "Before we do though…" Carol started, her face changing to something different, a little nervous maybe, a little sad, a little embarrassed. "I have to tell you something." Daryl took a deep breath, calming his own nerves, and waited for her to speak…


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: Smut warning for Part 1 in this chapter. **

Carol waited until they were both seated and comfortable before speaking. She took a deep breath and Daryl attempted to calm his own nerves with a similar breath. "Ok, well... Wow, I'm really nervous..." Carol admitted. Daryl noticed that the hand she was resting on her knee was actually shaking. He reached out and covered it with his own and she gave him a smile of thanks. "What I need you to know is... As a child growing up my family was quite religious, church every Sunday, live by the good book and all that..." She paused every once in a while to collect her thoughts and Daryl waited patiently for her to continue. "I was taught that you don't have sex until you're married..."

Her words punched Daryl straight in the gut and left him instantly reeling with confusion. If she didn't believe in sex before marriage why on earth would she agree to a singles cruise and why would she act like that's exactly where they were headed?

Carol must have recognized the panic on his face, "No, no, it's not that... Let me finish okay?" she said soothingly. Daryl gave her a nod but the knots in his stomach remained. "So I did wait, with Ed... He seemed okay with it too, but I realized a couple years in that it was only because he'd been getting it elsewhere, while we dated... When we were engaged..." Carol looked like she might cry, just for a second, but it passed as quick as it came. "I gave up on God for a while, while I was being beat and isolated. I figured there was no way I could believe in a greater power that would allow that to happen to me." Daryl knew those exact feelings. "Even now, though I've found belief again, it's not the same free and trusting way I felt before..." Carol looked up at him, "Anyway, I'm a bit off track. The point of this entire conversation is that my ex-husband is the only man I've ever been with." Carol looked away, shyly.

The news was a bit shocking for Daryl, but it really wasn't that big of a concern to him. It might actually help him feel a little less pressure in his ability to please her. But it was obviously a concern for her. She spoke again, "I know this might sound absolutely insane, but... When we do it... If you still want to... It's going to be kinda like my first time." Her cheeks burned bright red and all Daryl wanted to do was pull her into his arms and comfort her. But he knew she wasn't quite finished and he wanted to allow her to get everything out. "Ed wasn't... I mean, he didn't..." Carol sighed in frustration and Daryl knew it wasn't often she struggled this badly with words. "He didn't care... About me... Only himself..." Daryl felt an uneasiness in his stomach. He knew he'd been the same way with pretty much every woman he'd ever fucked. Daryl knew he should come clean as well, but he had no idea where to even begin. He reached his fingers around her hand, so he was holding it instead of just resting his on top. "Anyway," Carol continued, while he was thinking. "I know this probably wasn't the type of thing you thought you were signing up for, so if you change your mind and don't want to do it now… I'll understand."

Was she fucking kidding him? Did she really think anything she had to say would make him change his mind about being with her? Daryl was quite sure he'd never wanted anything more in his entire life. "Carol… there's something you should know about me…" Daryl started, knowing he had to spill it, but still unsure exactly what to say. "What you said about your ex…I… I ain't never cared about a woman enough to… treat her like I should." He was afraid to look at her eyes, afraid to see the disapproval or disappointment he expected would be there. "But you're different, I know that," Daryl continued, still avoiding her eyes. "I guess this might be kinda like a first for me too… I mean… if you still want to…" Finally he gathered enough courage to look at her. Carol was smiling. She was fucking smiling. Why the hell was she smiling?

"We're quite the pair, you know that?" Carol chuckled. "Both terrified the other is going to change their mind."

"Well I ain't changed my mind, not one bit," Daryl said.

"Me neither," Carol replied, leaning against his shoulder. "Daryl, I trust you… and honestly, right now, that's all that matters to me. I've said it before, but you make me feel safe and it truly has been a long, long time since I've felt that way." He wrapped an arm around her. You make me feel things I've never felt before. You make me happy and terrified all at the same time. You make me want to be a better man. All those thoughts were running through his head, but he couldn't say them. Not yet. He hoped sometime soon he would find the courage to tell her all that and more. But right then, all he could do was pull her closer and hope she knew. "Did you want to head back now?" Carol asked, her voice gentle, a bit shy perhaps.

"Yep," Daryl replied, hopping down and offering her a hand. The feelings floating around inside him intensified with the knowledge that it was going to actually happen. There was excitement, nervousness, sexual desire, and sheer terror swirling around like a vicious twister.

Carol led the way back to his room and Daryl trailed closely behind, attempting to calm himself, knowing he only had a few minutes to get his shit together. He hadn't even realized his hand was shaking until he attempted to put the key card into the lock and missed twice. "Sorry," he mumbled, finally getting it in and unlocking the door.

The room was dark so Daryl turned on one of the bedside lamps, instead of the main light. There was an awkwardness in the room he'd never felt with Carol before, but it was a natural awkwardness due to the situation and he was fairly confident it would go away once they were distracted. They were alone. They both knew what they wanted and the air in the room was heavy with desire. As soon as he met Carol's eyes he moved to her and found her lips. One thing they were both comfortable with was kissing each other – might as well start there.

This kiss felt a little bit different to Daryl, maybe because there was an expectancy of something more than before. It wasn't just a kiss, it was the start of something else, uncharted territory, in more ways than one. Aware that he didn't have to hold back anymore Daryl parted his lips and darted his tongue out, pleased to find Carol had the same idea as their tongues met. He loved the feel of her kisses, so warm and eager. Daryl pushed deeper and she moaned. He pushed even more, twisting his fingers into the short curls at the nape of her neck to pull her closer. She was absolutely intoxicating. After only a few seconds of passionate kissing Daryl was completely hard, cock throbbing and screaming for attention. Normally he would have listened. He would have removed only enough clothing between the two of them to get the deed done. He would have been selfish, completely, and never thought twice about it. But that wasn't going to happen with Carol. He wouldn't use her solely for his own pleasure. This was about them both, but her first and foremost. For once in his life he felt an emotional connection that mattered even more than anything physical.

Daryl broke the kiss and searched her face. "You okay?" he asked softly, wanting to be sure she was comfortable.

"I'm very, very, very, okay," she whispered back, biting her lip afterwards. It was so sexy he had to take a calming deep breath. Daryl was still very nervous, but he found the courage to reach out with a shaky hand to undo her shirt. He struggled a bit at first, until Carol added her shaky hand to his and began to help. Once her shirt was hanging open they switched and did the same thing with his. Carol's fingertips brushing his chest was almost enough to send him over the edge. She was so gentle and patient about everything, Daryl shouldn't have been surprised this was any different.

Once their shirts were both dropped to the floor Carol reached out and put a hand flat on his chest, over his heart. Daryl's body reacted with a tiny shiver that he couldn't hold back, flooding his skin with goosebumps. "It's beating so fast…" Carol commented with a tiny smile. "Just like mine." With her other hand she lifted his to her chest so he could feel the thudding. Daryl kissed her again as their hands slipped away and started to explore other parts of each other's bodies. While they kissed he undid her bra and pulled it off her shoulders, backing off enough for it to fall away, but not enough to break the kiss.

Daryl reached his hands behind her thighs and lifted Carol's legs around his waist. He turned his attention to her breasts as he slowly carried her to bed, sucking each nipple gently in turn, feeling it stiffen in his mouth, sending an electric shock through his body both times. When they made it to the bed he set her down gently and eased her back to work on her pants. He removed them quickly, leaving only a very cute pair of silky panties. Daryl had to fight the dizziness away as he peeled them off, leaving her fully exposed. Carol bashfully pulled her knees together, but Daryl very gently eased them apart, staring into her eyes the entire time, silently letting her know he wanted to see every part of her.

He didn't immediately turn his eyes to what was between her legs, but instead achingly slowly trailed his fingertips down the center of her body, dragging his gaze with them, moving between her breasts, over her stomach, slowing even more as he got to her pelvis. Daryl's heart was thumping so hard it hurt his chest as his eyes anticipated what they were about to see. As his stare finally met the most secret part of her body the dizziness intensified and he had to put a knee on the bed to help support himself. He needed to taste her, so badly. Daryl repositioned himself and made a move to put his head between her legs, but felt Carol's hands in his hair, stopping him. "Don't," she said softly.

Daryl sat up, "Why? Please? I want to…" It was far more than want by that point.

"You want to? Really?" Carol asked him shyly. "Are you sure?"

Daryl smiled with relief, she was just concerned about him. "Relax," he said easily. "Don't be afraid to let me know what you like," Daryl added, a bit bashfully, though he hoped she would help him make sure she was thoroughly enjoying it. Going down on her, while his intent was to pleasure Carol, was a bit selfish because he wanted it so badly. It was a strange circle of logic where he was getting pleasure from giving her pleasure, but all that mattered in the end was Carol enjoying it.

Daryl wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. He'd only given oral sex a couple of times before. Merle talked about it all the time so he'd tried it, but just found the woman to be rather annoying and take way too long to come. Of course he assumed he was doing something wrong and didn't try it again for a long time. The next time seemed better, but it still took forever when he really just wanted to get off himself. With Carol, even if it took all night it didn't matter, he would enjoy every second.

He started by kissing the inside of her thighs and felt her shudder against him. Well that's definitely a good start, Daryl thought. He moved the kisses to her slit, starting at the top and working his way down lower, finally darting out his tongue for his first lick. "Oh God," she moaned the second he made contact. She was fucking wet with desire already and he gathered up some of her juices on his tongue as he licked. The taste and the smell was making him crazy. He delved deeper with his tongue, flicking it over her folds and delicate, sensitive areas. Carol was making tiny gasping noises, maybe even panting, as he moved over her. Daryl avoided her clit at first. He remembered Merle said something about making sure she was fully aroused before you go there. Daryl also remembered him mention something about getting a couple fingers inside her as well. He mostly ignored all Merle's sex talk, but perhaps the fleeting memories would come in handy this time.

Carol was practically squirming and Daryl decided it was time. He spread her enough to get his tongue into the right spot and licked gently. Her entire body jumped and Carol cried out, "Jesus, holy shit…" He licked a couple more times, eliciting a similar response. Daryl had no idea how he knew, women were mostly a mystery to him, but he was sure Carol was going to come soon. Taking Merle's suggestion he moved two fingers over her opening, getting them wet with her moisture to lubricate them, then slipped them inside her. Immediately Carol bucked her hips into his hand, pushing against him, moving his fingers even deeper inside her. "Mmm… fuck…" she moaned as he slipped his fingers in and out while he continued to lick her swollen nub. "Oh god… oh god…." She cried, in a high pitched voice. Daryl switched from licking to sucking and almost instantly Carol's body jerked. He could feel a flood of moisture on his fingers and her body started to contract and tighten. Daryl sat up so he could watch her face. Carol was clutching the bed, sheets bawled up in both fists. She looked like she was in pain and Daryl panicked for a second, until he realized it was just intense pleasure. Her face was beautifully contorted and he watched her experience the entire orgasm, from start to finish until her eyes fluttered open to look at him.

There were tears and Daryl started to freak out, "Fuck, are you okay? Did I hurt you? What's wrong?"

Carol reached for him, shaking her head. "No, no, not at all… that was… it was so amazing," her cheeks were rosy with heat, her face still flushed with desire. "I've never felt anything like that before… seriously." Carol hugged him and Daryl could feel the moisture of her tears against his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

Her words instantly made him feel better and gave Daryl the boost of confidence he really needed. He stood up and started to undo his pants. "That's just the beginning," Daryl replied, his voice low and filled with lust. Carol smiled, sitting up so her face was level with his waist. She pushed his hands away and took over. As her hands brushed his erection, even through the material, Daryl's entire body ached for her touch. He was ready. So fucking ready.


	11. Chapter 11

The second her hands made contact with his bare skin, wrapping around his dick and feeling him completely hard with desire, Daryl knew he needed to get things started. He was barely surviving her touch, what if she started to stroke him? Or decided to take him in her mouth? Even the thought of either made him twitch.

Daryl wanted this moment to be beautiful and special in ways neither of them had experienced before. Carol had already admitted this would be somewhat of a first for her and it was the same for him in similar ways. Carol leaned over and reached for the condom that was sitting on the night stand. Perhaps she recognized his need to avoid any further foreplay that involved her touching him, or perhaps she was just ready for it too. It didn't matter which was the case, all that mattered was that everything was moving in the direction he needed it to move.

After slowly removing his clothing, Carol tore open the packet and helped him get the protection in place. Daryl barely survived the process and had to take several deep breaths to compose himself. He took over control again, easing her back onto the bed and hovering over her. Their eyes locked and Daryl saw so much in the endless pools of blue. He wasn't sure if he really was getting better at reading non-verbal cues or if she was just so perfectly expressive that even a guy like him could figure it out. The comforting part was that he saw everything he was feeling: desire, need, happiness and just a tiny bit of nervousness with a hint of fear.

"Are you okay? Are you ready?" he asked gently.

Carol parted her knees to allow him to adjust his position, "I'm ready. I trust you."

Daryl didn't even know he needed to hear that she trusted him until after she said it. But after he heard those words he knew with absolute certainly that he was ready and so was she. Daryl slid his hands down the length of her thighs, to her hips as he lined up to enter her. The tip of his dick was hovering just over her opening and Daryl could see it the area was glistening with moisture. He wished there wasn't a barrier between her heat and his cock, but he knew it was necessary. In fact, he was hoping it might even help him last a little longer. Chances were slim though.

He started to move into her slowly gauging her reaction with every inch. The look on her face was encouraging with her lips parted slightly and eyes crazy with pleasure. The little whimpers she made as he filled her up were absolutely delightful. Carol was genuine. Everything about her was honest and unassuming. Daryl had never been with a woman with even an ounce of what Carol had in spades. "Oh God," she gasped when he was fully inside her, frozen in place to allow them both to just enjoy the feel of one another.

She was tight around him and warm, so incredibly warm. When Daryl didn't move for a long time she clenched her inner muscles, squeezing his cock lightly. "Holy fuck," he muttered. She did it again and Daryl moaned. It was such a simple thing, yet it hit him with an intensity he never would have expected. It soon became apparent that Carol was getting impatient. She lifted her hips, taking him even deeper, then bucked against him slightly. The tiny bit of movement was too much to resist. Daryl pulled out slowly, then pushed back into her and they both groaned with pleasure.

He picked up the pace, but still kept it quite slow, reaching his hands up to cup her breasts. Carol arched her back, sighing as he circled her nipples with his thumbs, flicking the instantly hard nubs. Daryl loved every expression on her face and every little sound she couldn't hold back. He never wanted it to end, it was too perfect.

"Oh God Daryl, please, faster," Carol begged. She was begging him. Carol was actually begging him. No one had ever begged him before. Maybe he'd never given them the chance, didn't really matter. She was begging and he wanted nothing more than to oblige her every whim. She wanted faster so he gave her faster. He pushed in and pulled out over and over, frantically pounding into her, knowing he was coming close, so close. Daryl focused on holding on, just a little longer, knowing she was almost there too. Carol was clutching his shoulders, her nails were digging into his flesh. It hurt like hell but felt incredible. Finally her body shuddered and Carol cried out, squeezing and digging her nails into him even harder. He had a strangely erotic desire for her to draw blood, but was too focussed on the feeling in his groin area to pay attention to anything else for more than a brief second.

Finally… finally… he could let go… Daryl felt his balls tighten like never before, drawing up tight, followed by such an intense release he could help but grunt with pleasure. A wave of dizziness took over and Daryl felt like he was actually going to black out. Panting he fell on top of her, not meaning to crush her with his weight, but not able to control his muscles for a moment. "Shit, I'm sorry," he muttered rolling off her. "Are you okay?"

Carol had a lazy, blissful smile on her face. "Mmm, hmm," she said sleepily. "Never been better." Any chance of basking in the afterglow or discussing what they just shared was immediately interrupted by the ringing of the phone. "Noooo," Carol groaned. "I'm not going to answer it…"

"You have to, what if it's security?" Daryl urged her. "Maybe they found him."

"Oh fine," she huffed reaching for the phone beside the bed. "Hello?" Daryl watched her face as she listened to the voice on the other end. She looked rather perplexed and hung up without saying goodbye. "It was an automated message," Carol said, looking shocked. "They want everyone to Hall-S within 15 minutes for an important announcement…"

Daryl felt panic set inside him. What could they possibly have to say that they would call the entire ship to the largest hall on board? "What do you think it's about?" he asked her, standing up and starting to pass Carol her clothes and get into his own.

"I can't even guess," she replied, dressing quickly.

They made their way into the crowds of people heading for the same place they were. Amidst the nervous chatter and terrified looks Daryl reached for Carol's hand. As soon as he was holding it he felt so much better, instantly calmer. She gave him a tiny smile and squeezed to let him know she needed it too.

They stood around in the crowd as the place filled up. After about 20 minutes a man stepped up to the microphone and everyone quieted down. "My name is Derek Fraser and I'm the Captain of this ship. I have brought you all here tonight to let you know about a serious tropical storm that's unfortunately blown into out path. It's currently a tropical storm but experts expect it will be upgraded to a class 2 or 3 hurricane by morning, with potential to develop into a class 5." There were several gasps in the crowd and chatter started amongst them. The Captain waited for it to die down before continuing. "We will be diverting our course, which should mean we will only hit the outer edge of the storm. But we have decided it's best to head for shore and dock a couple of days until the storm passes. This means we won't be arriving back home as scheduled…" The chatter picked up again. "Please rest assured we will make every effort for those who need to make arrangement at home to be able to do so…" Carol leaned against Daryl and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We ask that everyone please go to the restaurant of your choice and take food and supplies back to your cabins if necessary. Until we reach shore we don't want anyone on deck." He paused and gave the crowd a minute to process things once again. "We should be starting to hit the edge of the storm within a couple of hours. Curfew starts at Midnight folks, please respect the safety of the crew and your own wellbeing as we batten down the hatches and get through this." The Captain gave a salute and stepped away from the microphone. The second he was through talking the room erupted with loud voices – some scared, some angry.

Daryl reached for Carol's hand again and tugged it, "come on, let's get out of here." For some reason the storm didn't scare him at all. Daryl led Carol from the room with a smile he couldn't hide. The only thing that he could focus on from the entire speech was that he was getting two extra days - with her.


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you really think we're going to eat even half of that?" Carol asked, as she stared at Daryl loaded down with as much as he could carry. She had grabbed drinks - water, Powerade and a couple bottles of orange juice.

Daryl shrugged, "it's free and I only took stuff that wouldn't spoil." He smiled at her, "if the ship sinks and we have to live on a raft in the Pacific you'll be glad I'm prepared." Daryl immediately regretted his words. He wasn't sure if she was scared about the storm or not and shouldn't have been joking until he knew for sure.

"Hmm, I figured you would MacGuiver us up a fishing rod and figure out some way to turn our pee into drinking water," Carol quipped back.

Daryl laughed, both at her joke and with relief. "I may be a great hunter, but I never said anything about fishing," he replied. The few times he'd fished with Merle his brother always caught his limit while Daryl was lucky to get a bite. "Maybe with my crossbow..." he added, suddenly missing the feel of his weapon in his hands.

"Ohhh, you hunt with a crossbow?" Carol said, her face lighting up. "There's something sexy about an archer," she teased. "What color feathers are on your bolts?"

"Oh thank you baby Jesus," Daryl sighed.

"What?" Carol gave him a strange look.

"You didn't call it an arrow," he said, beaming proudly at her. It was one of his biggest pet peeves. Even though the terminology now had more to do with the length of the ammunition than what weapon was firing it, it was always called a bolt in the past and in Daryl's mind that's what it should always be called.

"Any idiot knows a crossbow fires bolts," Carol said, crossing her arms and shooting him a sexy smile. It made him want to pull her in his arms and kiss her... Then maybe do more... Her voice interrupted his dirty thoughts. "I'm not tired yet, but I want to relax... You wanna take a bath with me?"

"Yes," Daryl answered embarrassingly quickly, causing Carol to giggle. He wanted nothing more than to be naked, holding her in his arms. Daryl needed to know she was okay with everything that had happened earlier before it happened again. A bath would satisfy his need to hold her close, but also give them a chance to talk.

By the time they were both undressed and sitting in the hot water Daryl was sporting a massive erection. He knew she could feel it leaning back against him between his legs. Normally he would have been quite embarrassed at his lack of control but he was getting comfortable with Carol very quickly, to the point that he wanted her to know how much she turned him on.

Carol settled back against him and sighed. Daryl rested his cheek against her hair and tried to find an appropriate place to put his arms. Oh for fuck sake, you're already naked in the tub with her, with a huge boner, just hold her. Daryl listened to his somewhat rational brain and wrapped his arms comfortably around Carol.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the water and the feel of being so intimate with one another. Finally when he couldn't stand the suspense any longer Daryl spoke up, "So, uh, was it okay? I mean, like… are you okay?"

"About the storm? And the delay? Or… the other things?" Carol asked. Daryl was pretty sure she knew exactly what he was referring to and was teasing him, which he was also pretty sure was a good sign.

"Both," he answered truthfully, though he was far more concerned about the latter.

"I understand that it can't be helped, but I worry about Sophia. We have never been apart this long and it's going to be hard for her with me away for an extra couple of days." Carol sounded sad and Daryl hugged her just a little tighter. "I'm not worried about the storm, I'm sure they know what they're doing and will get us somewhere safe." Carol took a deep breath. "As for the other things…" Daryl held his breath waiting for her to finish. "I've never felt anything more perfect in my entire life." She found his hand and slipped her fingers between his. "I'm serious," Carol added. "I promise you I'm not just saying what I think you want to hear. I'm being completely honest when I say it was amazing. Incredible…" her voice trailed off. "But I'm scared," Carol added a few seconds later.

Daryl felt his chest tighten with panic. "Why are you scared?"

Carol laughed quietly. "I'm scared it might not happen again… and again… and again…"

Daryl chuckled as the panic quickly subsided. He shifted slightly, reminding her of what was poking her in the back. "As long as you're willing, I don't think there's a chance in hell it's not going to happen again… and again…" He leaned in and whispered in her ear, while moving his free hand up to cup one of her breasts, "and again…" Carol sighed and tilted her head up so Daryl could kiss her. He captured her lips and kissed her passionately. There were so many sensations that he had no idea what to focus on. Should he concentrate on the way her kiss tasted or the way her breast felt, heavy in his hand or the fact that she was snaking a hand behind her and any second she was going to make contact with his dick? Or should he focus on how badly he wanted to pleasure her? Or the number of possible ways he could do it?

When her hand made contact with his erection it answered his question. There was no way he could focus on anything but that. Daryl couldn't supress groaning into her mouth when she started to stroke him. It didn't take many slow tugs before Daryl couldn't bear it any longer. "Here? Or in the bed?" he growled into her ear.

Carol didn't speak, she simply stood up, water dripping off her gorgeous body, and stepped out of the tub, reaching for a towel. She started to dry herself off in a very seductive manner, closing her eyes, face contorted with pleasure as she rubbed her breasts with the towel. "Fuck," Daryl hissed when she turned around and bent over to dry her legs. He could see her perfect pink flesh and the beautiful abyss his cock longed to explore.

"Don't keep me waiting," Carol said, looking back over her shoulder. She tossed her towel onto the counter and slipped out of the bathroom. Daryl practically leapt out of the tub, not even bothering to release the water. He dried himself off in record time and pretty much ran out of the bathroom.

They made love for a second time and Daryl was shocked that it was even better than the first. He honestly didn't think it could get better. But Carol was more aggressive and when she forced him on his back and started to ride him Daryl was sure it was a wonderful dream and he would wake up any second. But he didn't wake up, it continued until he had to grab her hips as the orgasm coursed deliciously through his body. And even with the most beautiful creature he'd ever met tucked safely in his arms afterwards he still didn't wake up - because it was real.

"We should probably try to get some sleep, huh?" Carol said dreamily. No sooner were the words lout of her mouth and the ship lurched, sending everything that wasn't bolted down flying off the tops of tables and dressers, and even rolling them slightly in bed. "Guess we hit the edge of the storm," she sighed. "Could be a long… Oh crap…" Carol jumped out of bed and took off for the bathroom.

Daryl stared after her confused, but when he heard her throwing up he understood. So far he hadn't been sea sick at all, even in the smaller boat that had a lot of people looking green, but he'd been taking half a Dramamine every morning. Daryl reached into the bedside drawer and popped a full tablet of the anti-nausea medication. Even a huge ship with stabilizers was no match for stormy seas and chances were he would definitely need the second dose.

He heard Carol throwing up again and wondered what to do. He wanted to go in and see if she was okay, but he didn't know if that would embarrass her. Daryl waited a little longer, but when he heard her heaving again, he knew he couldn't leave her alone. He grabbed another tablet and a bottle of water. Maybe once she calmed down he could get Carol to take a pill. It would help if she could stop throwing up long enough to let it work.

Daryl felt a slight wave of nausea as he made his way to the bathroom, but it passed with a deep breath. The boat swayed again and he stumbled, but grabbed the door frame before falling. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"You don't have to," Carol mumbled. "It's gross. I'm gross."

"You're not gross," Daryl assured her, pushing open the door. She looked terrible. Her face was pale and he could see her hands shaking. Carol was sitting on a towel on the floor, leaning back against the tub, but close enough that she just had to lean forward to hit the toilet. As the boat rocked noticeably a 3rd time Carol leaned forward and heaved into the bowl. Daryl felt terrible for her and wished he could do something to ease her suffering. He reached for a washcloth and wet it with cold water. He knelt beside her and put it on the back of her neck while she threw up. Daryl rubbed her back and muttered soothing words.

Finally she was finished and sat back again. "I'm sorry," Carol said, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. Daryl shushed her and wiped her face with the cool cloth. "Thank you," she sighed, taking deep breaths over and over to try and fight off the urge to vomit again. "Why aren't you sick?" Carol asked him, weakly.

"Dramamine," Daryl said, opening his hand to display the tiny orange pill. "I took half this morning and another just a few minutes ago." He opened the bottle of water. "You think you can try to get one down? It'll help."

"Maybe…" she said, reaching out a shaky hand for the pill. Daryl passed her the water and watched as she took a sip to swallow the tablet. "Oh God," Carol groaned.

"Hey, hey, deep breaths, look at me," he squatted in front of her and tilted her chin up so their eyes met. "You can do this, fight it off." Carol looked like she was going to cry at first, but she started to calm as he keep talking her through it. "Breath in, and out…" Daryl coached her for several minutes and eventually she seemed to be over the worst. "Want to try and get to bed?" he asked gently.

Carol nodded, "I'm really tired." The pill made some people very drowsy and Daryl hoped it would knock her out for the night, until they made it through the roughest part of the storm. Daryl stood and offered her a hand. He could see how weak she was as soon as Carol was on her feet, so he gently lifted her into his arms and carefully walked to the bed. He lucked out that there were no major moments of turbulence during the short walk.

He lay her down easily on the pillow and covered her up. Daryl grabbed a waste basket and set it beside her on the floor, then climbed into bed next to her. "You really are one of the good ones Daryl," she mumbled, tucking up against him. Before he could even reply she was snoring softly. It was actually more of a purr, like a content little kitten.

Her words repeated over and over in his mind. For once in his life Daryl really did feel like a good guy. He gently stroked her hair then placed a kiss on her forehead before setting his head down on the pillow and drifting off.


	13. Chapter 13

Daryl didn't sleep well at all. Every time Carol moved or groaned his eyes flew open to check on her. But each time he did he found her still fast asleep. Obviously the Dramamine was doing its job, whether actually easing the nausea or just knocking her out. It was a good thing though, because it was indeed a rough night. The rocking and swaying of the ship was actually a bit terrifying at times. If it was this bad on the edge of the storm Daryl didn't want to know what it would have been like if they went right through it.

The last time he checked the clock it was 4am and things seemed to be improving. Daryl wasn't sure if Carol had quit groaning in her sleep or if he was just too exhausted to hear it anymore. When he woke again it was after 9am and he was alone in bed.

"Morning," a voice called from across the room. "I cooked breakfast if you're up for some food," Carol joked. He could see she had set out juice, fruit and pastries on the table and Daryl's stomach growled. Any nausea he'd felt the night before was gone.

"I'll be right there," he groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. Daryl stood and wandered to the bathroom naked. They never had put on anything before bed, though he noticed Carol was dressed. It wasn't until he planted his feet in front of the toilet that he realized peeing would be a challenge. It was a vicious circle really, peeing would help make it go away but it was hard to take a piss when his dick was pointing in the wrong direction. After some fancy maneuvering he was able to pee and sure enough things started to settle.

Daryl washed and brushed his teeth then wandered back out to the other room to throw on some clothes. He tried to ignore the fact that Carol was watching him because if he saw even a hint of desire in her eyes breakfast would have to wait.

When he was dressed Daryl took a seat on the couch. They ate in silence for quite a while. Finally Daryl spoke up, "so you look like you're feeling a lot better... and you're eating, that's a good sign."

"Yeah," Carol nodded. "I'm much better now." She set down her last bite of food and looked at him. "Thank you for everything you did for me last night. You were... Incredible. I haven't had anyone take care of me like that since I was a child."

"Wasn't nothin'," Daryl shrugged off the compliment.

"It meant a lot to me, I just needed you to know that," Carol replied. She looked away, almost embarrassed and her words explained the look, "I'm sorry about what happened though, I mean, right after we... And I had to run to the bathroom..."

Daryl smiled and cracked a joke to try and make her feel better, "could have been worse, could have happened before we were through."

Carol's eyes flicked in his direction and Daryl felt like an idiot for the joke... Until she laughed. "True," she said between chuckles. "But listen," she started, her eyes hinting at a change in mood. "I was thinking maybe I could make it up to you this morning," she said, in a sexy tone that raised goosebumps all over his body.

Daryl played along, "what exactly did you have in mind?" He popped his last bite of breakfast into his mouth and chewed quickly as Carol stood and approached him. She dropped to her knees between his legs, while Daryl remained sitting on the couch. Her elbows were resting on his thighs and it was quite obvious how she intended to make it up to him. "Whatcha doing?" he asked, pretending to be naive, though he knew she wouldn't buy it.

Carol didn't speak, she simply reached for the button on his pants and popped it open. Knowing her intentions had already caused his dick to swell, but once she started the process it grew harder by the second. By the time Carol had his fly down his cock was already straining for room. She touched him through his underwear, rubbing him gently at first, then a bit harder until he couldn't hold back the groan any longer. He was completely hard and aching to feel her touch his skin - any part of her.

Carol made a move to pull down his underwear and he lifted his hips to help. She slid them down, along with his pants, just far enough to allow his dick to spring free. Daryl's heart was racing as she reached out slowly and wrapped her hands around his girth. Carol squeezed lightly and he felt the blood rush to the tip as his dick throbbed in her hand.

He had to find something to grip as she lowered her head. Daryl found the arm of the couch with his left hand and a cushion with his right and gripped until his knuckles were white as Carol licked her lips and slid them down his shaft. She moved up and down a few times, swirling her tongue around the tip before taking him deep again. Daryl was holding on for dear life when Carol released him and looked up. "Hey, look at me," she said softly. "Take a deep breath, lean your head back and relax." Carol rubbed his thigh, "I can feel how tense you are. You'll enjoy it so much more if you just let go of the tension." Daryl followed her instructions. He inhaled deeply and leaned his head back on the couch. He closed his eyes and let his body relax. "That's better," she whispered, gently massaging his balls. The tension tried to return so Daryl took another deep breath and forced himself to stay relaxed.

This time when she took him in her mouth Daryl sighed with pleasure. It felt even better and his body turned to Jello. He found himself teeming with curiosity and opened his eyes to watch her work. The way she took him so deep into her throat was impressive. Carol was just starting to speed up when a most unwelcome interruption occurred – the phone rang. "Noooooo," Daryl whined as Carol released him again. "Fuck my life," he grumbled, reaching for the phone beside him. "What the fuck do you want?" he growled, not caring who was on the other end. It was a recording. Daryl listened to the message and hung up. "Another meeting," he muttered, thoroughly disappointed.

"How much time do we have?" Carol asked.

"Not enough," Daryl said with a pout.

Carol stood. "You sure?" she asked, pushing her pants to the floor. She turned around and bent over in front of him. He almost ejaculated staring at the beautiful sight before him.

After quickly rolling on a condom and burying himself deep in her heat Daryl knew she was right. They would have plenty of time to finish. 15 minutes later they were back in the hall with the rest of the passengers waiting for the captain to speak once again.

His message started off with an update on the storm, which they had successfully avoided, but was raging towards the east coast of the United States. It was expected to hit Texas but be downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane by the time it did. Still had potential for a lot of damage, but originally looked a lot worse. Daryl was relieved that the storm was hitting so far south on the Coast. The Atlanta area was a long way from the Georgia coast, but if it was headed in that direction he knew Carol would be terrified about Sophia and he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he would have worried about Merle.

The last part of the message caught Daryl's attention. "When we reach land and dock in a couple of hours we will allow passengers to leave the ship and explore for the day. There's a large resort nearby and they have offered us the use of telephones so you can call family if you need to…." Daryl stopped listening after the Captain said they would be allowed off the ship. Carol was looking at him with the same fear and he knew she was thinking exactly what he was thinking.

"Let's go," he said, leading her through the crowd. "We're talking to security right now." Daryl wanted to make sure they had a plan to keep Carol's attacker on board until they were back in the U.S. and the F.B.I. boarded to investigate.

Daryl was impressed and pleased with the news he got from the security guard they met with. "Allowing people off the ship is actually part of our plan to find him," he explained. "I'm guessing you didn't stay to listen to the rest of the Captain's speech, but if you had of you would have heard that everyone will need to display their passport to get off the ship." Daryl felt much of the worry lift. "Anyone who shows us a passport with the name Bill or who happens to look like they've been in a fight will be detained. For the record there are only 4 passengers with any form of the name Bill on board, one is your attacker and the other three are unlucky to be named William right now."

The man put a comforting hand on Carol's shoulder. "We are taking this very seriously Ma'am and we're going to find him. In the meantime, enjoy your visit to one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands you'll ever see."

Daryl thanked him and they headed back to his room. "So I guess we're spending the afternoon in Antigua?" he said with a smile. He never thought he'd be on a cruise let alone spending the day on a Caribbean island.

"I guess so," she replied, her blue eyes sparkling. "So…. what exactly are we going to do?"


	14. Chapter 14

After showing their passports and signing documentation allowing them to leave the ship Daryl and Carol headed straight for the resort to call their families. There was already a huge line as expected, though many had opted to use cell phones instead and pay the insane roaming charges that would incur. Daryl had considered just texting Merle, but they had to arrange for him to be picked up on a different day, at a different time, so he figured a quick phone call made more sense.

Daryl worried the entire time that Merle wouldn't answer and he'd be left wondering if he was going to have a ride waiting in a couple days when they made it home. But after talking to Merle on the phone Daryl almost wished he had of got the answering machine.

"Darlene! Please tell me you've fucked so many women your dick hurts?" was pretty much the first thing out of Merle's mouth.

"Fuck off," Daryl replied, quietly, as there wasn't much privacy to talk. Carol was right beside him and he could tell by the tears on her cheeks that she was talking to Sophia. Daryl tried several times to tell Merle about the storm and arrange a new meeting but all he was concerned about was whether Daryl was getting laid. "I'm doing just fine," he hissed into the phone, trying to shut Merle up.

"Okay, but seriously, how many times? Like 5? 10? Even more?" Merle persisted.

Truth be told it was only 3, but they were three of the most amazing fucks of his life, so Daryl exaggerated a bit, "I don't know, like 5, give or take." Daryl knew he was beet red by that point.

"Yeah, little Bro, you're a fucking stallion," Merle hooted into the phone. Daryl blushed harder. "So anyway, you were saying something about a storm?" Daryl quickly explained the situation and after promising he wouldn't forget to pick him up Merle parted with excitement that Daryl had an extra 2 days to increase the notches on his belt. "Try for 10 at least," Merle said as Daryl finally grumbled a goodbye and hung up.

He stood off to the side to wait for Carol and let someone else have the phone he was using. Carol was taking a lot longer than the 5 minutes they were allotted and people in her line were starting to grumble. There was a couple at the front of the line and the man called out to Carol, "time's up lady, give the rest of us a chance."

Carol obviously heard him and Daryl watched as another tear rolled down her cheek. He was angry but he calmly walked over to the man. "She's talking to her little girl, so how 'bout you leave her alone until she's done, okay?" It wasn't stated as a question and the man knew it. He muttered an apology and Daryl backed away to wait.

Within a couple more minutes Carol hung up and walked over to him. "Sorry," she apologized, wiping her cheeks.

"Don't be, that guy was being an asshole." Daryl brushed away a tear she had missed, "Are you okay?"

Carol chuckled and gave him a smile. "Yeah, I'm far worse off than she is and I think that makes it harder." Carol sighed, "I know she misses me, she said she did. But I can also tell she's having fun. You know the last thing she said to me?" Carol looked up at him. "She said, 'have fun Mama, you deserve it.' Can you believe that?"

Daryl returned her smile, "Sounds like a smart little girl."

Carol nodded and took a calming deep breath. "Okay, I'm fine. We have an entire day to enjoy this gorgeous island. What do you want to do first?"

"Whatever you want," Daryl shrugged. He wasn't trying to be annoying or indecisive, he just truly did want to do whatever made her happy. He hoped that came across to her.

"Well, I didn't really bring a lot of extra cash," she started. "So I guess the casinos and shopping are out." Daryl tried not to look too excited about that, but Carol caught the way his face lit up with the news and giggled. "What about the beach?" she asked. "Let's change and go for a long walk until we find a private area..." her voice trailed off and her cheeks flushed. "I mean, that way we can swim without all the ladies ogling your perfect arms and making me jealous."

"Stop," Daryl said, blushing at her compliment. He knew already that she was far from the jealous type. But he, on the other hand, was not. And if there were guys checking out Carol in her swim suit he would likely have to fight off punching them. Daryl also knew that Carol realized he wasn't going to take off his shirt and swim with a lot of people around because of the scars on his back. She proved yet again how well she knew him.

Daryl was changed and waiting in the lobby for Carol to come out of the ladies room where she was switching to her swim clothes. They had decided to dress in casual clothes and bring their beach attire because they hadn't decided yet what they were going to do. They were allowed to reboard the ship anytime they wanted, but there was a process to get back on and they would have to go through the same process to leave again. It was easier to just take what they needed and plan to spend the day on the island.

When she emerged Daryl's heart skipped a beat. He had seen the woman naked, but looking at her in a gorgeous little sundress did something to him. It was a short dress and if he didn't know she had a swimsuit on underneath he would have lost his mind entirely. Carol was a beautiful woman, but she had no idea how truly stunning she was. Daryl knew. And he also knew how lucky he was to be with her. He was trying really hard not to think about the trip ending and what would happen when they got home. Daryl forced the thought out of his mind and focussed on Carol. "You look beautiful," he said shyly.

Carol blushed at the compliment. "Thank you," she replied genuinely.

They walked out of the resort and made their way to the beach. It was absolutely gorgeous, with blue green water and bright white sand. But it was busy around the resort so they started to walk. "Wanna wade in the water along the way?" Carol asked, looking at him with sparkling blue eyes. She didn't wait for him to answer before kicking off her sandals and picking them up. Daryl did the same and followed her to the edge of the shoreline. The water was cooler than he was expecting, but still quite warm. Daryl wandered a step behind, watching her footprints in the sand disappear as the tide rose and swallowed them up. Carol looked so happy and carefree, spinning around to smile at him every once in a while.

The further they walked, the more the people thinned out until there were only tiny figures off in the distance. They arrived at a huge sand bar which looked like it might be the end of that particular beach. Daryl climbed up to the top and smiled. He jumped back down and helped Carol climb the dune, "come on, it's amazing."

Standing on the top they could see several other large dunes with valleys in between. Some were shallow and narrow, others were wide and flat and looked like a private little beach. Daryl was glad they had walked the shoreline for well over an hour, because the payoff was absolutely worth it. As far as he could tell they were completely alone and would actually have complete privacy if they chose the right section of coast line.

Daryl was a bit concerned that they had strayed so far from the resort area. If anything were to happen it was a long way to get help. But he would just have to make sure they were extra careful. He took a deep breath and smiled. It would be just fine and they would enjoy the afternoon in their own private utopia.

He let Carol choose the perfect spot and they spread out the large towels they had brought side by side. Carol took off the sundress and Daryl tried unsuccessfully not to stare at her. It was a two piece, but not a bikini. Daryl was sure the style had a name but couldn't remember it. He would have been lucky to remember his own name at that point anyway. There was a tiny bit of her tummy showing and a bit of cleavage but other than that it was rather modest in comparison to some of the suits he'd seen around the pool. A few were so skimpy he'd blushed and looked away. But there was no chance in hell he could tear his eyes off Carol.

His gaze wandered from the thin straps on her shoulders down the front, over her perfectly sculpted collar bones, past the swell of her breasts and that little extra bit of bare skin where they pushed up out of the swimsuit. He travelled down and glanced at her bare navel and then the little triangle of material that covered an area he'd become familiar with, yet longed to get to know even better. He scanned her long, gorgeous legs and stopped at her feet, with her perfectly painted red toenails that matched the color swirling through the bathing suit. He continued to stare only at her feet as they took several steps forward and stopped only inches from his own bare toes.

Daryl looked up when he felt her hands on the bottom of his tank top. "Time for sunscreen," Carol said, taking charge and pulling the shirt off over his head. She tossed it onto the towels and picked up the bottle of sunscreen. Daryl watched as she squirted some in her hand, rubbed it together with her other hand and slowly moved towards his chest.

Daryl wished he had offered to do it himself before she made contact with his skin because the second she did he couldn't speak. Even if he could have, her hands rubbing the creamy lotion all over his chest felt way too good to even consider ending. His heart was pounding and he knew Carol could feel it. At one point she stopped with her hand flat on the centre of his chest and looked up at him with a sexy smile. Before he had a chance to kiss her Carol went back to work, moving down over his stomach. As she rubbed the bare skin just above his waistband Daryl felt his dick start to stiffen. Carol knew exactly what she was doing to him as she grazed her fingertips lightly over the same area, even after she was finished rubbing in the lotion.

She moved around behind him and continued the slow torture on his back, after getting another squirt of sunscreen. Carol started with his neck and shoulders, allowing him to grow accustomed to her touch once again, before she touched his scars. It became far more than simply applying sunscreen when she grazed the damaged skin. Daryl felt her fingertips and knew she was soothing his wounds with her touch. Carol didn't pity him or feel sorry for him, it was pure and simple emotional empathy and it felt incredible.

When she was finished with his back Carol put a small blob of sunscreen in her hand and dabbed two fingers into it. She moved delicately over his face as they locked eyes. Carol traced his jaw and cheeks, nose and forehead, spreading the cream gently. It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever experienced. "My turn," she whispered, cupping his cheek with her hand, still looking deeply into his eyes.

Daryl fought between the desire to rub his hands all over her body and not wanting to look away. Finally he broke the stare and reached for the bottle. Her skin sizzled under his touch and Daryl was sure it couldn't possibly be as hot as it felt. He started with her back and shoulders. Carol sighed as he massaged the lotion into her skin and Daryl groaned at the effect it had on his groin area. He was very sure he wasn't going to survive the entire process, especially when he dropped to his knees and started to run his hands up and down her legs.

Daryl decided the only way he was going to survive was to focus on making her every bit as turned on as he was. In the end, survival would be the last thing on either of their minds. He started low at her left ankle and began to work his way up, massaging her calf and then moving to her thigh. Daryl tapped on the inside, encouraging her to widen her stance. Once he had room to work Daryl started to up his game, teasing her mercilessly, rubbing the delicate skin on the inside of her thighs and 'accidentally' brushing the material of her bathing suit between her legs.

He was about to move to her other leg when Carol's voice froze him, "Take them off."

"What?" he replied, wondering if he heard her correctly and was properly interpreting her demand.

"You heard me Daryl," she commanded him, taking charge in a way he hadn't expected from her. "Take. Them. Off." 


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl did as he was told, who was he to argue with her demands? He slipped a finger through the leg hole on each side, reaching up until he was able to curl it around the waistband and tugged down. The bottoms of her swimsuit were hanging around her ankles and Carol kicked them aside. Daryl was still behind her, staring at her gorgeous ass when Carol turned, leaning him staring at her slit instead. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her, curious if she was slippery with moisture in between. Instead he left her in charge a little longer. "Stand up, and take off yours too," she said in that same tone that made him want to be her slave.

Daryl stood and worked his swim trunks over the erection Carol had elicited without a moment's hesitation. His only goal right then was to please her. Daryl knew he would do anything she asked, absolutely anything. Carol's eyes were fixed on his cock and she didn't bother to try and hide it or look up when she spoke, "Touch yourself, stroke your dick."

Well if there was one thing he was good at it was masturbation. Daryl took hold of his boner with his right hand, feeling it stiffen with his touch and her gaze, and started to slowly move up and down, from base to tip and back down. He heard Carol suck in a sharp breath and let it out slowly and saw her body shudder with pleasure. "What now?" Daryl asked, praying she would let him touch her.

His prayers were answered as Carol wordlessly moved to the towel and laid down before speaking. "Now you touch me, however you want, I trust you." There was that word again. Trust. Carol trusted him completely. If you only knew what kind of man I really am, Daryl thought, allowing his mind to drift to what would happen after the trip. He pushed the thoughts away to focus on the task at hand. He would address his concerns with Carol at some point when he didn't have a massive erection and she wasn't lying half naked in front of him, begging him to touch her. He wanted the day to be special and didn't want to ruin it with any negativity. Daryl made a vow to talk to her that night. If it ended what they had started at least she had another day or two to find someone else who she deserved before the cruise was over.

Daryl pushed all the bad thoughts away and let his eyes wash over her body. Carol relaxed her knees and let her legs fall open. Daryl groaned and moved to her, positioning himself between her legs, rubbing his hands up and down the outside of her thighs a few times. He moved to the inside and slid his hands so close, almost touching her, then moving back away, teasing her until she was shifting her hips, trying to make him touch her where she wanted to be touched. Finally he did, brushing a single finger lightly along her slit, feeling her moisture on his fingertip. Daryl pushed one finger slowly inside her, adding a second as Carol groaned with pleasure. She was so fucking wet it took all his restraint to not replace his fingers with his dick immediately.

Daryl slowly moved in and out, pushing his fingers as deep as he could and feeling her bucking herself against his hand, begging for more. He gave her more, picking up the pace until she was writhing in ecstasy, moaning, biting her lip, and fisting the towel up in her hands. Once Daryl was sure she was thoroughly excited he bent his head down and lightly licked her clit, barely brushing it. "Oh God," she cried out, letting go of the towel and pushing her hands into his hair, holding his head firmly in place. Daryl licked again, with a little more pressure and Carol squeaked. He licked a third time and felt her body jump. He followed it up by taking the tiny swollen nub into his mouth and sucking gently, while continuing to fuck her with his fingers. "Oh my… fuck… don't stop…" she got out. Daryl knew she was close. Her body was tense and her grip on his hair was getting tighter by the second. Finally she cried out and her body jerked. Daryl could feel her inner muscles clenching around his fingers and stopped moving his hand, enjoying the pressure, pleased he'd created it. He released her clit and sat up to watch her as the orgasm took over her body. He stared at her face until she finally sighed and her eyes fluttered open. Carol smiled at him and sat up as Daryl slipped his fingers out from between her legs.

She took his hand and pulled him downwards as she sat up on her knees. Carol guided him onto his back and straddled him. As much as Daryl would have been up for a blow job at pretty much any time, he was glad she skipped right to the fucking. He needed to be inside her like he needed air. It must have been evident in his eyes because Carol didn't hesitate to line up and slip onto his dick.

The next thing he knew his hands were above his head with her fingers linked through them and Carol was riding him. It felt absolutely incredible. He knew she was wet, but it felt so good with her natural lubricant making everything slick. Carol alternated between slow and fast, taking him almost to the edge and slowing down again, backing him away. Eventually he just couldn't take it any longer and grabbed hold of her hips, stopping her movement and taking over himself, thrusting into her, their bodies slapping together until they were both grunting with the overwhelming satisfaction.

Mere seconds before he came Daryl realized with pride that Carol had another orgasm. It made his own even more intense knowing he was able to please her like that. He was pretty sure he'd been with women in the past who had faked it, but he knew without a doubt that Carol was not faking anything.

After they put their clothes back on they quickly finished the sunscreen application that had been interrupted and waded out into the water to cool off. The afternoon passed quickly, too quickly as far as Daryl was concerned. They talked, laughed, enjoyed the sunshine, swam, and even built a huge sandcastle like a couple of kids.

Daryl found a stick lying in the sand and drew a heart. It felt juvenile and he almost erased it with his foot before Carol saw it. But she was standing beside him before he had a chance and when Daryl saw the look in her eye he finished what he was doing – drawing D + C inside the heart. "Thank you," Carol whispered, cupping his cheek and kissing him tenderly.

As the sun began to set they were sitting on the towels, Carol was sitting in front and Daryl had his arms wrapped around her. "I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day," she said, turning her face and nuzzling his cheek.

The tide was coming up, starting to wash away the heart he'd drawn, a little at a time. Daryl hoped it wasn't some sort of cruel sign of things to come, after he was honest with her later that night. "I hate to say it… but we probably should head back," Daryl said gently.

Carol groaned. "I don't want to," she whined.

"Me neither," Daryl concurred, holding her just a little tighter, before releasing her and standing, helping Carol to her feet as he did. They packed up their things and started the long walk back. Somewhere along the way their hands simply brushed and the next thing Daryl knew her hand was in his, fingers linked. He was not one for holding hands, but it felt natural with Carol. Maybe Daryl wasn't one for holding hands or drawing hearts in the sand or feeling fluttery inside just looking at her before, but he was then. It was shocking how much he'd changed in such a short period of time. He barely recognized his own voice at times because it became so tender and gentle when he talked to her. His touch changed, no longer gruff and clumsy, but delicate and precise. Maybe I'm that man here, he thought, looking down at their linked fingers and smiling briefly, but once we're home… once the magic of being far from reality is lost… would it all change? Could he still be the kind of man she deserved?

The thoughts plagued and haunted him as they walked silently back towards the ship. Carol could tell something was bothering him. Every once in a while she would squeeze his hand reassuringly. When they were finally safely in his room on board the ship Daryl simply couldn't wait any longer. "Carol, we need to talk," he said gravely, his heart pounding in terror of what might happen after he spoke.

She looked confused, "why do you look so scared?" Carol walked up and hugged him. He let her, enjoying the feel of being in her arms, telling himself it could be the last time. Eventually he pulled away and looked at her. Before he had the chance to say another word there was a knock on the door.

They exchanged a look and Daryl went to answer it, peeking through the peep hole first. "Security," he informed her, pulling the door open.

"Good evening," the man started politely. "I just wanted to stop by and let you know that we found the man we believe to be your attacker and he's being detained."

"Oh thank God," Carol sighed, her face lighting up with relief.

"In the morning we would like you to come and identify him if you would?"

"Yes of course," Carol nodded.

"11am? We have other victims stopping by earlier," the man explained.

"Other victims?" Daryl repeated.

"Yes sir. It seems Ms. Peletier was one of a number of women he's assaulted since boarding."

The guard bid them goodnight and Daryl shut the door. "You okay?" he asked Carol, who still looked shocked from the latest development.

She smiled at him. "I'm fine. Relieved actually. I'm glad they found him and while I feel awful for the other women who were attacked, I'm selfishly glad I'm not alone." Her eyes darted away. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Of course not," Daryl said, pulling her into his arms. "Makes you completely normal."

They hugged for a moment and Carol spoke again. "I know what you have to tell me isn't good news," she began, hugging him tighter. "Can it wait until morning? Can we just go to bed and you hold me in your arms and make me feel safe like you always do?" Carol pulled back and looked at him with her stunning blue eyes.

Daryl couldn't say no. He knew he needed to tell her, but she was asking for a few more hours and he accepted with a single nod. They took off their clothes and climbed into bed naked. Daryl held her in his arms and enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin against his. It didn't turn into anything more than comfort. Daryl held her all night and they slept peacefully. When he woke the next morning he laid awake, watching her sleep and wondering how he could possibly risk losing the incredible gift he'd found. Her eyes opened and his heart ached. It was time to be honest about the kind of guy he really was.


	16. Chapter 16

Daryl had no idea what to say or where to begin. And all he could think about was the possibility of losing Carol afterwards. You have to be honest with her, Daryl told himself. She has a kid to take care of. Sophia comes first.

He took a deep breath and let the words out. "I ain't the kinda man you think I am," he started. Carol didn't express the look of shock or fear he was expecting. The look on her face was more of an amused smirk than anything else. "Don't," he warned. "I'm being serious here."

"I know you are," Carol offered gently. "And I'm not trying to make light of anything. But Daryl, I know the kind of man you are already and here or home, that won't change."

"Yes, it will," he said, a little too forcefully, making her flinch. "Sorry," he added, softening his tone. "Please just let me get this out okay?" Carol nodded. "There's so much you don't know..." He couldn't look at her when he started to tell his story, "I don't have a job. Nothing permanent anyway. Which means I ain't got much money. I live with my brother..." Daryl felt his cheeks flush as the embarrassment of not even having a place of his own.

Carol shrugged, "took me a long time to find a job." He glanced at her quickly and saw she was smiling at him. "And I lived with my brother for a while too, when I left Ed, until I got back on my own two feet."

"You don't understand," Daryl interrupted her. "I've never been on my own two feet," he sighed. "I mean, I can fucking take care of myself, always have. I could take off into the woods, hunt my meals... I could live like that if I had to... But I don't want to."

This time Carol didn't speak, just waited for him to continue. "I'm a nobody, you and Sophia deserve better than what I can offer you." Still she didn't speak but another quick glimpse at her face told him she was only being patient, not completely disgusted with him like Daryl expected. "I have nothing to offer you..." The words and the truth kept coming. "My brother..." Could he tell her the truth about Merle? He had to, it was the only way to make her fully understand. "He's been to prison," Daryl said, finally meeting her eye and finally seeing a glimmer of fear. "Possession, trafficking, assault, armed robbery... You name it." Daryl saw her take a calming breath, relieved she was finally starting to get it. "He brings home money, I pay the bills with it, buy food, gas, clothes... Booze... I never ask where it comes from, I just spend it." He was almost finished, there was just one thing left to add. "Sophia... Your little girl... She can't be around any of that. And I wouldn't want you to be either." The last words were barely above a whisper and Daryl was through.

It was his turn to be patient and wait for her to speak, even though he knew it was over. She couldn't possibly want anything to do with him after hearing the truth. While he waited Daryl silently cursed himself for letting it get this far before he told her. He never should have led her on. Hell, he never should have agreed to come on the trip in the first place. He had never expected to find someone like her. He never expected to enjoy himself or feel what he felt inside when he looked into her eyes. Right then, waiting for her reply, Daryl couldn't meet her eyes. He couldn't bear to see the sadness, disappointment, anger, fear or whatever negative emotion those beautiful blue eyes would hold.

Daryl felt her touch his chin and lift his gaze to hers. Carol didn't look mad or scared or even disappointed. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Daryl was shocked and confused. "Thank you for telling me all that, sounds like we have some things to sort out when we get home," she said, giving him a tiny smile.

"What? What do you mean? We're not through? It ain't over..." he stammered, completely stunned.

Carol shook her head, "of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I... Thought... Sophia? My brother.. The things I've done?" he searched her eyes, trying to find the cruel monster that was going to jump out and laugh at him, telling him he was an idiot, of course she wanted nothing to do with him.

Carol sighed, "it might not be easy, not at first, but if you're willing to try.. So am I." She flashed him a brilliant smile and when he didn't respond she kept talking, "listen, if I'm being honest... My reaction might have been different if you hadn't told me this now. If you had waited until we got home or tried to hide it, I might have found myself questioning the type of man you really are. But Daryl," she reached out and cupped his cheek, brushing it with her thumb. "You just proved to me that you're every bit the man I know you are... Honest, caring, selfless, brave... The list goes on." Daryl felt his face flush at her compliments. "You care enough about me, and Sophia, to risk losing me even before this trip is over by telling the truth. That speaks volumes. And it tells me that you are that kind of man and it's who you want to be."

She was right, he did want to be all those things for her and a little girl he had never met. "But how?" he couldn't help asking. It all seemed like too much for them to possibly overcome.

"Well... I'm not exactly sure. There are logistics to figure out and plenty to talk about..." her voice trailed off. Carol gave him a reassuring look, "But I say for right now we just let it go. My attacker was captured, we're still out in the middle of the ocean, far from your brother and my daughter... Let's make the best of the freedom we have left, okay?" Daryl nodded, how could he argue with that? "Good. We have to get the visit to security over with soon, but there's still time..." Carol slipped out of bed. "For you to..." She offered her hand. "Join me in the shower?"

The woman was brilliant. There was no doubt about that. Daryl took her hand, got out of bed, swept her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. Completely lost in the feel of Carol and the hot water washing over them, he finally let go of the fear and let himself begin to truly fall in love.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I usually don't do author's notes here, but this one serves a dual purpose. This fic is drawing to a close, likely only a chapter… maybe 2 more left. So I just wanted to take a minute to thank you guys for the support and thank you all for making this an absolute joy to write!**

**Secondly, Athlete Girl wrote a little companion chapter to this fic. I'm going to link it here for anyone that's interested in reading. It's a Merle/Beth chapter. I know some aren't into that pairing, but if you're on the fence I would definitely give it a read. She's an amazing writer and you might find you like it a lot more than you thought you would! It won't let me post a link so you'll have to either go to my tumblr post and click the link from there or search authors for Athlete Girl and then go to her collection called anniversaries and it's chapter 22. **

The meeting with security and the identification process was quite simple and quick. Carol was taken in alone, given passport photos of several men and asked to identify her attacker. Daryl was sure he could also make a positive ID but given the fact that it was dark and they were fighting, security suggested he not make an attempt. If the FBI needed another witness he could revisit it then. Daryl had seen the man in the light as well, but at the time it hadn't been important to remember what he looked like.

Carol seemed pleased and confident as they left. "I saw his picture, picked it out without hesitation," Carol said quietly as they exited. Daryl took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Carol looked up at him, "thank you for helping me through this. If you weren't there things right now could be so different..."

"Shh," Daryl interrupted. "I was there and it's over. You're safe." Carol leaned on him as they walked. It felt good to have a little of her weight bearing on him, reminding him of her presence, but also her desire to have his support.

"Let's do something crazy," Carol piped up, out of the blue. She stopped walking and looked at him, her eyes sparkling, "it's our last day. Let's pick an activity we would never do at home. Something completely corny."

Daryl's quick reply surprised them both, "sure, let's do it." He really wasn't one for acting crazy or doing anything to draw attention to himself. But they were going to do it together and he was pretty sure there wasn't anything he wouldn't do with and for her.

"A psychic? Are you sure?" Daryl asked a while later after they ate lunch and studied the events calendar. Carol had made her decision. He didn't believe in any of that shit anyway, but worried they might be told something that would upset her.

"Yeah, come on... It'll be fun," Carol replied. She gave him a mischievous grin, "let's tell her we just met at speed dating and want to know if we'll last as a couple."

Daryl was still hesitant. What if she told them no, they're not compatible? Or revealed something bad? But Carol seemed excited so he agreed. "Ok, as long as we both agree that whatever she says is likely a pile of crap."

"I don't believe any more than you do," Carol assured him. "I've just always wondered what it's like. I have a friend who swears this stuff is real, but I'm skeptical."

The psychic was in one of the smaller halls, which had a little room attached for privacy. When they entered there was a spot to sign up for a reading and the room was set up to seem very dark and mysterious. They signed up in the 5th spot and wandered into the lounge area to wait. The readings were 15-20 minutes long so they had over an hour to kill. The session was for couple readings, not individual, so everyone there was paired off. "Wanna play a game while we wait?" Carol asked, with a giggle, as she sunk down next to him in a cozy love-seat.

"What kind of game?" Daryl asked. Before she could answer a hostess came by to see if they wanted drinks. They ordered and she left.

"I pick a couple and you tell me about either the man or the woman, then I tell you about the other," Carol explained.

Daryl wasn't very creative, but he had actually played a similar game as a kid, while waiting for his dad to finish up at the pub and take him home. "I'll try my best," he shrugged. The hostess returned with their drinks and they waited until she was out of earshot before starting.

"Okay, how about those two, straight ahead," Carol leaned in and whispered.

Daryl's eyes wandered to a guy in his mid-20s who had hooked up with a woman who had to have at least 25 years on him. "Oh yeah, those two..." Daryl started, opting to make something up for the woman. "Don't tell anyone, but if you look in her purse you'll find a 3 carat diamond she hasn't been wearing all week," Daryl said quietly in Carol's direction. When she giggled again Daryl decided this game might actually be fun. He started to spin an elaborate tale, "yeah, she's married to some big shot CEO from Miami. Open relationship. So while he's off in Tokyo getting special treatment from the Geisha, she goes on singles cruises and tries to get laid from the youngest guys on the ship." He glanced over at Carol and saw a bright smile on her face. "Truth is, that boy right there is younger than her son. But only the young ones can keep up with her... Needs..." Carol had just taken a drink and she snorted, spraying a bit of liquid. Daryl laughed and reached for a napkin to hand her. "Now it's your turn, tell me about her date."

Carol wiped at her mess and studied the young man for a minute. "Law school dropout," Carol began. "Smart kid, but he never could cut it. Been running away from a very upset daddy, using mama's credit card. His dad has no idea that mommy dearest has been paying his bills for over 6 months while he jets all over the country. His dirty little secret... He got into Harvard in the first place by sleeping with the admissions clerk. Had to keep it up with monthly visits until... The clerk's wife found out."

Now it was Daryl's turn to snort. "He was fucking a dude?" he whispered.

"Yep," Carol said with a straight face. "He's had a few of each onboard." Daryl bit his cheek to keep from laughing too loud. "Like's the MILFs and the Uh... FILFs?" Carol said.

That did him in, Daryl started to laugh and Carol joined in. They got some strange looks. Even the couple they were talking about shot them a glance. But Daryl was having too much fun to care. It had been a long time since he'd laughed like that.

They passed the time by making up a few more stories and laughing until their sides hurt about the plumber who won the lottery, the Miss America runner up, the porn star past his prime and the librarian with a dirty little bondage fetish. When their names were finally called out Daryl had to compose himself with several deep breaths and Carol had to wipe tears from her eyes.

They quickly made their way to the back and were ushered into the private room filled with candles and incense. Daryl looked around and shivered. He felt something strange upon entering and almost turned to leave.

"Ah I sense a couple of non-believers," came a voice from the darkness. The woman started to light candles until they could see her at a table, with two chairs in front. "Come, sit," she said, standing and waving them to the chairs. Carol moved to take a seat and Daryl followed, wearily eyeing the middle aged woman with long red curly hair. He was expecting a head scarf, willowy skirts and a crystal ball, but she was wearing jeans and a simple blouse with no crystal ball or even Tarot cards in sight.

"So, we just met at Speed Dating," Carol said, shooting Daryl a flirty grin. "And we were wondering if, well, if you see any future for us…" Daryl focussed on keeping a straight face through the lie.

"Oh that's strange," the psychic said. "You just met?" Carol nodded and Daryl mirrored her. "Wow, that's very surprising…" she looked confused. "I sense a really deep connection, like you've been through a… through a difficult situation together already." Daryl felt his heart rate increase. Lucky guess, he thought. "Maybe from another life," the psychic said, smiling sweetly. Daryl had the strangest sense they had been busted, but he wasn't sure how. Maybe she had seen them together earlier in the week or something.

"You," she said, looking at Daryl. "You're very anxious about something…" she narrowed her eyes. "Your brother… You're worried about something to do with your brother getting in the way of your relationship with this woman," she said, nodding towards Carol. "Am I right?" Daryl nodded, dumbfounded. "You don't need to worry. He's not going to be a problem. He might actually surprise you," the psychic said with a smile.

"Doubt it," Daryl grumbled.

She shot him a smile. "I have a good feeling about your relationship," she said. "I see a lot of changes for you… and I get the sense it won't be easy, but it will all work out for the best."

"And you, beautiful lady," she said, turning towards Carol. "There's someone else in your life that's very important… a child?" Carol nodded and looked just as dumbfounded as Daryl had. He watched her as the psychic spoke. "Her dad isn't part of her life is he?" Carol gasped in shock. Not only did she know that Carol had a daughter, but she knew that Sophia didn't see her father either. "It's for the best," the woman said, reassuring Carol. "You worry about her not having a man in her life and you're wondering if you might have found the right person," she said, glancing in Daryl's direction. "You have. He doesn't think he would make a good dad, but he's wrong. Your daughter will love him."

Daryl felt his chest tighten. What the hell was going on? How could this woman make such bold predictions and be so perceptive that she could read his thoughts? Thoughts he hadn't even told Carol. Daryl had thought about Sophia and worried that she wouldn't like him. He also didn't believe he would be a good father figure. How could you be a good daddy when your own dad sucked so badly?

"Wow," Carol whispered.

"So are you two ready to be honest with me?" she asked. "I know you didn't just meet. Am I right?"

"We met a few days ago," Carol said softly. "I was being attacked, the guy was trying to rape me, and if he hadn't arrived when he did…" her voice trailed off and the psychic reached out to hold her hands.

"You made a connection. A bond that could never be broken. I see a long future for the two of you… I can't see the end," she smiled. "There are very few couples that I can't see the end, either as a break up or death. That tells me something special. It tells me that even in the afterlife you're still together. Some call it soul mates."

"Pfft," Daryl scoffed. Both women shot him a glare. "Sorry," he muttered. Daryl didn't believe in psychics and he didn't believe in soul mates or the afterlife… but somehow, sitting in that tiny room they all seemed possible – though he never would have admitted it to the psychic.

The reading was over. They had heard everything they needed to hear. "I want to thank you guys for coming this evening," the woman said, taking each of them warmly by the hand. "It's rare for me to get to do a reading like this anywhere, but particularly somewhere like this," she said, referring to the singles cruise atmosphere. "You have something special. Even if you don't believe in my abilities, just look at one another and believe in what you see in each other's eyes."

Daryl was pretty sure he had barely taken a breath the whole time they were in there. When they exited, the air hit his lungs and he gulped it eagerly. Neither of them spoke as they left the hall and wandered towards the restaurants. They were both lost in thought and likely a little in shock.

They made simple conversation over a late dinner – their last dinner on the cruise. Daryl picked Carol's favourite restaurant, a quiet Italian place with very private booths, and ordered them both wine. He wasn't a big wine drinker, but she was and he wanted their last dinner to be perfect. He wished he was better at keeping the conversation going. Usually Carol took care of that but she was obviously still reeling from the psychic reading.

Neither of them brought it up until dinner was through and they left the restaurant to find night had closed in already. Daryl felt sad, knowing their trip was so close to ending. He started to wander in the direction of his room and remembered something. "Hey, I suppose you could go back to your own room now they have your attacker." Daryl didn't mean for his voice to sound as sad or pathetic as it did.

"You're right," Carol said with a nod. "I think I will stay in my room tonight…" Daryl felt his heart sink with her words. He hoped they would spend their last night together. "But only if you'll stay there too," Carol added, looking up at him with a smile and reaching for his hand. Daryl nodded as relief washed over him. "There's somewhere I'd like to go first," Carol continued. "One last time?"

Daryl knew she was referring to their special place and he led the way. It was a beautiful night with the sky full of stars and a warm gentle breeze blowing. "Are we gonna talk about what she said?" Carol asked him, as she climbed up and sat down.

Daryl stood between her legs and looked into her eyes. "I never believed in that crap," he started. "Until tonight," Daryl finished softly. "How is it possible she knew those things? Could she be right about…" he didn't finish the thought, still trying to hold on to some skepticism.

Carol had a strange look on her face, something he'd never seen and couldn't quite figure out. "Daryl… I…" she sucked in a breath before continuing. "I think… I'm falling in love with you." Her words hit him so hard his knees buckled. His world was spinning, swirling with shock and disbelief. Daryl was dizzy. He reached for something to steady himself and ended up grabbing her thighs. "Are you okay?" Carol asked, her voice teeming with concern.

He wasn't expecting this moment, her words, or the way it all made him feel. Daryl couldn't speak so he nodded. He wanted so badly to tell her he felt the same. It was beyond that for him, he didn't just think he was falling in love with her, he knew he was head over heels in love with Carol. Daryl knew he was scaring her, he needed to do something to put her mind at ease, but words still wouldn't come, so he reached out, grabbed the back of neck and pulled her lips to his. He kissed her - soft and tender at first, telling her how much he cared for her, then took it deeper to show her how intense his feelings really were. As things became passionate and sensual Daryl wrapped his arms around her and drew Carol's body tightly against his. It wasn't until he was absolutely sure he could speak that Daryl finally pulled away. Breathless he looked into her soft blue eyes and spoke words he never thought he would ever say, "I love you."

He saw the tears welling in her eyes. Carol bit her lip gently, then spoke, "Daryl, I want you."

He nodded, "let's go." Daryl was glad it was her suggestion, though he was aching to be with her.

Carol shook her head. "I want you… here. Now."


	18. Chapter 18

Their declarations of love for one another brought a new aspect to the sex. It was still an unbridled sort of passion, filled with lust and desire, but there was also this sense of connection and perhaps a hint of potential longevity than made it that much sweeter.

Daryl still wanted to please her and make Carol deliriously happy, but he was met with this new feeling of confidence he'd never had with a woman before. Wherever and however he touched her, Daryl felt like he was doing it exactly right. He wasn't nervous or scared, hesitant or overly shy, and he didn't wonder what she was thinking or question if the noises that came out of her were good or bad. He knew.

Standing on the ship deck, in their private spot, they were both met with a need to consummate their words with their bodies. The risk of getting caught heightened the sexual arousal but did nothing to stop what happened. It was full on, can't get enough of each other sex, where they only removed enough clothing to get the job done. Daryl was hard in a matter of seconds. By the time he had unbuttoned her pants and pulled them down he was more than ready to fuck her. One look at her face told him Carol was ready too and plunging into her confirmed it. She was so wet he moaned feeling the slickness at their union.

Carol was perched on the ledge, with her legs wrapped around him. Daryl eased her back against the hull of the ship so Carol would slam against it as he started to pound into her. Daryl knew she wanted it hard and fast, so he confidently gave her what she wanted. If anyone was close it would have been obvious what was going on from the moans she was making and the similar groans Daryl just couldn't hold back.

When Carol came he pulled her forward, completely into his arms, so she could cling to him while he finished in only a few more quick strokes. There was something about knowing he'd made her orgasm that brought on his own even quicker. That and the feel of her pussy contracting on his dick and the way she shuddered in his arms.

As the intense feelings faded away Daryl felt Carol's hands on his face. She looked into his eyes before meeting his lips with her own, soft and wet. Her kiss did almost as much to him as being inside her had, because she was telling him what he wanted to hear. Earlier Carol had said she thought she was falling in love with him, but this kiss said something different. It told Daryl she was every bit as sure of it as he was. And if he had any doubt her words said it all, "I do love you Daryl, I'm absolutely certain of that."

Never had a moment been more perfect. A gorgeous night, a gorgeous woman in his arms, and knowing what it felt like to be loved - finally. Daryl held her a few minutes longer until he felt his dick grow limp and start to slip out of her. He pulled himself the rest of the way out and helped her to the ground so they could both dress.

"I've never done that before," Carol said, with a little chuckle. "Out in the open like that, where anyone could see us..." The spot was fairly private, but she was right, they were by no means hidden if someone were to walk by. "Have you?" she asked, smiling when he didn't respond right away. "Oh come on, spill it."

"Just once," he mumbled, thinking back to his junior year of high school when he'd fucked a cheerleader under the bleachers. "Didn't go so well," Daryl added with a grin, telling Carol the whole story as they headed back to her room. It just so happened that he got caught up in a nasty little scheme of bullying, where the new cheerleader was forced to do initiation by finding a guy to fuck her in the football stadium. What she didn't know was that it was all just a plot to have her kicked off the team. The cheer captain alerted the principal of what was going on under the bleachers and he busted them, handing down Daryl's 3rd week-long suspension of the semester. The girl also received a suspension and was not allowed on the team. She ended up transferring schools eventually as word got out, while Daryl on the other hand gained some much undesired popularity and started skipping class even more often than usual.

"I hated how they made her feel so bad she had to leave but I became some sort of alpha male hero," Daryl said, feeing disgust all over again.

"Once again you show me you were a real man, even back in high school," Carol said with a smile. It took Daryl a minute to catch on to what she meant. But eventually he realized that Carol was complimenting him for recognizing the sexist times they lived in and being angered by the way a woman was treated so differently. He shrugged, "the way I see it, we're all equals. Ain't about whether you're a girl or guy, but about what you know and what you can do."

"You mean you don't believe a woman's place is to wait on her man, raise babies, cook and clean?" Carol said sarcastically. "I put up with that for 10 long years."

They entered the room and Daryl pulled her into his arms just barely inside the door. "I will be your slave," he whispered into her ear. "Do anything you want. Anything to make you happy."

"Anything?" Carol asked, drawing back to look at him. "Hold my hand in public? Carry my purse at the mall? Buy my tampons?"

"Woah, hold on... Leave me a little dignity," he joked. "I'm still a guy." Daryl was kidding. If she needed and wanted him to, he would do any of those things for her.

"Yes, you definitely are," Carol said, slipping a hand between them to cup his package. It had barely been 15 minutes since they finished on deck, but he would be ready to go again if Carol wanted to. She made him feel like a horny teenager, ready on her beck and call. "I'm not completely against working hard to make you happy," she said, guiding him backwards towards the bed. "But maybe I'm just being selfish," Carol added, undoing his pants and pushing them to the floor, underwear included. She had them both naked in no time, and Daryl was completely aroused in anticipation the moment she did.

Carol fucked him this time. She rode him hard and fast, just like he'd done to her earlier. Daryl loved the way her tits bounced as she moved on him. She was pushing him close when Daryl stopped her and took over. He lifted Carol off him and flipped her onto her back, giving his dick a minute to recover, before entering her again, in complete control. The back and forth of control was a reminder of the genuine equality of their relationship. They were both very willing to take the lead at times but also willing to be submissive other times.

When they were finished and lying side by side in bed Daryl felt a sense of panic strike again realizing the trip was pretty much over. Carol's insane sixth sense of his mood kicked in right away. "Stop thinking," she said gently. "We are going to be fine. Going home isn't going to change the way we feel about each other." Carol traced a finger on his chest, "besides, you heard the psychic, we've got this."

Daryl chuckled. He loved her easy going attitude and he knew she was right. And hoped to hell the psychic was legit as well. "I'm a bit nervous about meeting Sophia," Daryl admitted earnestly.

"Don't be," Carol replied quickly. "She's a very sweet girl. A bit shy at first, like someone else I know, but once you both get past that… you'll get along just fine." Carol pulled the blankets over their naked bodies. "She's changed so much since I left Ed. And having you around is going to help her so much, I know it." Daryl was honored that she was already considering his impact on Sophia would be in a positive way. "If we're being honest… I'm more than a little curious about your brother. Not nervous really, but I have a feeling he's not nearly as bad as you make him seem."

Daryl could feel her smile against his chest. She was likely right. Merle probably wouldn't come across as the ass that Daryl painted a picture of, but it was only because he oozed charm, particularly around women. "Oh you'll like him, just don't trust him 'kay? He's a snake in the body of a cute little puppy dog or something."

Carol giggled. "I love you, okay?" she added softly.

"Love you too," Daryl responded easily, as if they'd been saying those words to each other for years. "Get some sleep," he added, pulling her a little closer and closing his eyes.

The next morning Daryl had to leave for his own room to pack up. He promised to return once he was ready to go and was back to her room in just over an hour, luggage in tow. "Just had a call from security," Carol informed him. "They said the FBI would board as soon as we're docked. They want to meet with all the victims, just briefly to set up appointments to visit later in the week. They figure it will be a fairly open and shut case." Daryl nodded. He forgot about the FBI until he was in the shower earlier and wondered if they would need to contact Merle and Carol's ride to let them know they might be late. But it sounded like it wouldn't take much time and they would just be one of the last to get off the boat.

He was right. Once the ship docked the Feds boarded immediately and they were finished and exiting the boat with the last of the passengers. Daryl could see Carol scanning the crowd for her family. He spotted Merle right away and groaned. It appeared that Merle had already found some fresh meat to hit on while waiting. "Sophia," Carol whispered, tears springing to her eyes as she finally spotted her daughter. "Come on, come meet her and my sister in law and then we'll find your brother." Carol took his free hand in hers and weaved through the crowd towards an adorable little girl and a woman with blonde curls. Daryl was trying really hard not to be nervous as they approached. He saw Sophia's face light up as she spotted her mom and then her eyes shifted to his face. They weren't blue like Carol's, they were darker, likely hazel, but they held the same expressiveness as her mother's. One look in those eyes and Daryl relaxed. Everything really was going to be just fine.

The end!

Author's note: I was actually planning one final chapter to end this fic, but after writing this I decided that I really like it ending on that note. I like how looking into the eyes of a child, particularly Carol's daughter, puts Daryl at ease. I think it demonstrates that he will connect easily with Sophia and indicates that she's a lot like her mama. I am seriously considering doing a sequel fic after I wrap up a few more WIPs and delve deeper into Stay With Me. Let me know if you guys would be interested in a second installment that would explore how they get past all the real life obstacles and start their relationship. I know some will be disappointed that Carol didn't meet Merle, but with a strong character like Merle I didn't want to bring him in for just a brief scene and then end it. If I were to do a sequel Merle would have a much bigger presence. Anyway, thank you so much for your support. This one was fun! Thanks again to Tanya for the headcanon that started this whole thing. Mwahhhh! It was a blast!


End file.
